Jamaica tightens leafy green import checks after US cyclospora surge

Jamaica has stepped up inspections of iceberg lettuce, other leafy greens and fruit that come from or pass through the United States after a multi-state outbreak of the diarrhoeal parasite Cyclospora.

The Ministry of Agriculture said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had logged 1,644 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases and 94 hospital admissions as of July 18. The probe into the outbreak is continuing.

The National Water Commission has also begun overnight supply cuts from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for customers in Washington Gardens, Marley and adjoining corporate-area communities as dry weather persists. The measure started on Sunday and will stay in force until further notice.

Separately, another person hurt in the May 27 fire at the Beryllium garage in Kingston has died. Damian Walters, 43, who worked with the Guardsman Group, died on Monday while being treated at a specialised burn facility in Augusta, Georgia.

In athletics, national under-20 record holders Gary Cardard and Shinoya Douglas have been selected to run the sprint double at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, set for August 5 to 9.

At midday currency trading, one US dollar fetched J$159.52, the pound sterling J$216.30 and the Canadian dollar J$115.70.

Wednesday morning should be mostly sunny, apart from partly cloudy skies over eastern parishes. Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are expected, with haze across central and western parishes.