News from the OPM

EXEMPTED CATEGORIES UNDER THE DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT ACT


EXEMPTED CATEGORIES UNDER THE DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT ACT

Members of the public are being reminded that the nightly curfew today, Wednesday, September 1 which begins at 7:00 p.m., also marks the extension of a three-day, no-movement period as stipulated by the Most Honorable Andrew Holness, prime minister of Jamaica, in a press conference on Wednesday, September 1.

During the three-day period, 52 categories of persons have been granted leave to traverse to and from work. 

These include members of parliament, councillors, judges, persons working in the healthcare sector, persons working in the oil and gas industry and farmers. Persons who will be travelling to and from vaccination sites are also exempt. 

Exceptions have also been provided for persons working in the tourism sector and persons journeying to and from hotels, including persons entering and departing the island.

Persons transporting persons in the exempt category are also covered.

The Police are however, reminding all persons who fall into the exempt categories to ensure that they have proper identification, and where necessary, authorization letters, to establish the legitimacy of their claim when stopped by the Police.

The full list of exempt persons can be found on our website, www.jcf.gov.jm. Persons can also seek clarification from their local Police or contact the JCF COVID Response Centre at 876-702-5102, 876-702-6, 876-702-5108-9.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force thanks Jamaicans for their compliance with the provisions of the Disaster Risk Management Act and encourages all persons to continue to comply as we face this latest threat from COVID-19.

The full listing of exempted persons is below:

  1. The holder of any of the following offices—

(a) the office of Governor-General; 

(b) office as a member of either House of Parliament; 

(c) office as a member of the Judiciary. 

  1. Employees of the Houses of Parliament.
  2. Permanent Secretaries, the Chief Personnel Officer, the Solicitor-General and the Chief Parliamentary Counsel.
  3. Any member of a security force, the municipal police or the Major Organised Crime and AntiCorruption Agency.
  4. Any person employed in a service concerning the provision of health, water, food, electricity, public works, sanitation, firefighting, civil aviation or telecommunications.
  5. Veterinary surgeons, licensed under the Veterinary Act.
  6. Immigration officers and customs officers.
  7. Correctional services officers.
  8. Persons employed in the transportation of agricultural produce or livestock or employed in the poultry industry (including catching crew, poultry processing, plant staff and the staff of feed mills).
  9. Persons employed in the sugar cane industry.
  10. Persons employed to “tourist establishments” as defined by the Public Health (Tourist Establishments) Regulations, 2000.
  11. Persons employed in services connected with oil-refining and with the loading, distribution, transportation, or retail, of petroleum fuel, liquefied natural gas or any renewable energy source.
  12. Persons employed in services connected with the loading and unloading of ships and with the storage and delivery of goods at, or from, docks, wharves and warehouses operated in connection with docks or wharves.
  13. Persons employed in the provision of public transportation by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company or the Montego Bay Metro Company Limited.
  14. Persons whose duties involve the hearing of emergency matters before a court, as determined by that court.
  15. Persons employed to the courts.
  16. Any attorney-at-law attending at police stations or lock-ups, or appearing before a court, for the purposes of legal representation of a client of that attorney-at-law, or attending to a client of the attorney-at-law in the case of an emergency arising due to the SARS–CoV-2 (Coronavirus COVID-19) pandemic.
  17. Persons employed in the maintenance of the infrastructure for the provision of business process outsourcing services.
  18. Persons employed to the media (such as journalists, television or radio presenters, camera operators, announcers, engineers, technicians and newspaper delivery personnel).
  19. Persons employed to businesses providing private security.
  20. Persons employed to the Jamaica Printing Services Limited.
  21. Persons employed to the Toll Authority established under the Toll Roads Act.
  22. Persons employed to courier services.
  23. Persons employed in the bauxite or alumina industries.
  24. Persons engaged in the transportation of manufactured products.
  25. Persons employed to Factories as defined in the Factories Act.
  26. Mayors and Councillors of Municipal Corporations, or the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Technical Officer or Inspector of the Poor, of a Municipal Corporation or City Municipality.
  27. Persons employed to the Independent Commission of Investigations.
  28. An employee of a Ministry, Department or Agency of the Government who is designated in writing in the form set out as Form 3 of the Fifth Schedule, by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, the Chief Personnel Officer or the Head of the Department or Agency (as the case may require) to be key personnel involved in the operations of the Ministry, Department or Agency of the Government.
  29. An employee of the Bank of Jamaica designated in writing in the form set out as Form 3 of the Fifth Schedule, by the Governor of the Bank of Jamaica, or a person authorised by the Governor to make such designations, to be key personnel of the Bank of Jamaica.
  30. Persons employed or contracted, to undertake construction, by a person to whom a licence or permit to carry out such construction is issued under any law.
  31. Persons employed or contracted to catch, land or process fish, pursuant to a licence or permit issued under the Fisheries Act.
  32. Duties in respect of the urgent need to care for livestock, fish or other animals or crops.
  33. Persons employed to the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry with responsibility for finance and the public service, Tax Administration Jamaica, the Accountant General’s Department or eGov Jamaica Limited. 
  34. Members of the personal staff of the Governor-General.
  35. Persons designated in writing, in the Form set out as Form 4 of the Fifth Schedule, by the Speaker of the House of Representatives as persons whose duties include responding to emergency matters requiring the attention of a member of the House of Representatives. 
  36. Persons employed to a funeral home or mortuary. 
  37. Persons employed or contracted to Food for the Poor, or the Red Cross, and engaged in packaging or distributing supplies.
  38. The Director-General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and persons authorised in writing by the Director-General. 
  39. The Integrity Commissioners and persons employed to the Integrity Commission.
  40. Members of a tribunal and persons employed to a tribunal.
  41. Seafarers, as defined in the Shipping Act. 
  42. Persons employed in any of the establishments permitted to operate under paragraph 14(10). 
  43. Persons who— (a) are en route to an airport for the purpose of travel; or (b) having arrived in Jamaica, are en route from an airport to their intended abode or place of residence.
  44. Persons employed to a business in the business processing outsourcing sector. 
  45. Persons employed to a financial institution, as defined in the Banking Services Act, to maintain infrastructure in the provision of financial services. 
  46. Persons employed in any service or activity designated in writing, in the form set out as Form 5 of the Fifth Schedule, by the Minister with responsibility for national security, with the prior approval of the Cabinet, as an exempt service or activity under this sub-paragraph.
  47. A person transporting a person referred to in any of the other items of this paragraph, provided that the first-mentioned person returns to that person’s abode or place of residence immediately after providing such transportation. 
  48. A person for the purpose of receiving vaccination against the SARS – CoV-2 (Coronavirus COVID-19), or a person employed in administering such vaccinations. 
  49. Farm workers, for the purpose of flight processing or testing for the SARS – CoV-2 (Coronavirus COVID-19).
  50. Persons employed at a pharmacy, for the purpose of dispensing prescription drugs and “over the counter” drugs, but not for any purpose connected with the sale of any other items. 
  51. Persons authorised under the E-Commerce National Delivery Solution Programme (ENDS).