Agriculture Ministry tightens US produce checks amid Cyclosporiasis outbreak

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining has intensified inspections of imported produce after a Cyclosporiasis outbreak in the United States. The intestinal illness, caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, typically brings diarrhoea, loss of appetite, bloating, nausea and fatigue. US public health reports linked several cases to shredded iceberg lettuce moved through a commercial supply chain. The US Food and Drug Administration has recalled a specific brand of shredded iceberg lettuce over suspected contamination and widened traceback work, product sampling and border screening.

To protect Jamaican consumers, the ministry’s Plant Quarantine and Produce Inspection Branch is reviewing iceberg lettuce, leafy vegetables and fruit shipments from or routed through the United States. With the Ministry of Health and Wellness and other regulators, it has also strengthened port surveillance for goods named in US recalls or food-safety advisories. The public is urged to follow updates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA and the agriculture ministry. Officials say timely notices will follow if further public health steps are needed.

Construction of the new six-storey Spanish Town Hospital remains on course for completion in 2027. During a site visit, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said the building is nearing a major milestone. Project manager Owen Clark, head of the ministry’s health system strengthening unit, advised that concrete for the sixth-floor roof — the final floor — is due by the end of July. Electrical and plumbing fit-out should then lift overall progress to about 65 per cent by October. The expanded facility is expected to add seven operating theatres and MRI, CT and mammography capacity not now available on site. Tufton asked St. Catherine residents for patience as the project fills a major gap in care.

May Pen and Black River hospitals have also received beds, lockers and medical sundries valued at more than $5 million. The South East Regional Health Authority accepted the gift from UK-based Jamaican businessman Brannatic Newville as a partnership to improve patient care while the country recovers from Hurricane Melissa. State Minister of Health and Wellness Kristal Lee welcomed the donation of 33 hospital beds, 20 bedside lockers and sundries, saying the resources will support routine care and future emergencies. SERHA board chair Michael Stern said the items will help restore normal operations at Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth and assist May Pen as it continues to host additional patients from across the region.

The Public Procurement Commission is expected to publish by the end of July the list of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises approved under the government’s 20 per cent set-aside programme, which reserves one-fifth of eligible public contracts for small firms. Finance Minister Fayval Williams announced the timeline at the Small Business Association of Jamaica’s Growth and Resilience Conference last week and said guidance notes for ministries, departments and agencies should be issued by the end of August.

Separately, the Caribbean Examinations Council will phase out school-based assessments from the 2027 academic year for many CSEC and CAPE candidates. SBAs will remain for practical subjects such as agricultural science, visual arts, music, physical education, technical drawing and food, nutrition and health. For subjects including mathematics, English, Caribbean history, social studies and principles of business, the traditional SBA will be replaced by exam-based paper 032. Students will receive the assessment topic a month before sitting, get extra time and may bring reference notes into the room. CAPE changes begin in the May–June 2027 exams; CSEC candidates may use either the SBA or the new paper in 2027 before a full switch in 2028. Registrar and CEO Dr Wayne Wesley said the reforms protect exam integrity as artificial intelligence becomes common in classrooms, without banning AI as a learning tool. Scores from completed SBAs may still transfer under the existing two-year policy. Operations Director Dr Nicole Manning said a review found generative-AI guidelines for SBAs were applied unevenly across schools, and stressed that paper 032 is a short applied assessment rather than a lengthy written exam. CXC will support schools through webinars, sensitisation sessions and extra resources.