Opposition Spokesperson on Local Government, Dr. Angela Brown Burke wants Mayors and Chairmen of the local boards of health to immediately convene a meeting to provide critical and detailed information to the public on the dengue outbreak facing the nation.

Dr. Brown Burke is also calling on Minister of Local Government, Desmond McKenzie, to release any outstanding payments to councils, to clear up any advanced payment for drain cleaning exercises and other works which were already carried out.

She says this will allow the councils the latitude to make their contribution to any new efforts to ease the crisis in which country has fallen.

Dr. Brown Burke notes that the local board of health has always been an integral partner in vector control activities, especially when the trend seems to be above normal levels.

She argues that it would be a grave error to exclude the municipal corporation from the sensitization, community visits and other mitigating activities.

Meantime, in a tweet this afternoon, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton noted that earlier today (Jan 4), he met with parish public health leaders and vector control officers in Westmoreland and St. Elizabeth, to get updates on measures to control mosquito breeding sites.