Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has expressed concern about the rising Covid-19 positivity rate.

The positivity rate has jumped from 17.9 per cent on Tuesday (December 28), to 32.5 per cent, yesterday (December 29).

Dr. Tufton was speaking during this morning’s (December 30) handing over of 5,000 Covid-19 home test kits to the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in St. James.

He said imported cases are among the new infections tallied to date.

Dr. Tufton noted that while the number of daily hospitalizations has increased, it is not rising exponentially.

And Jamaica has reduced the isolation time for people with asymptomatic Covid-19, from 10 to 5 days.

This follows a recommendation from the United States Centers for Disease Control, CDC, earlier this week.

Dr. Tufton said the ministry has decided to accept the recommendation.