The Ministry of Health and Wellness recognized the contribution of local and overseas partners for their invaluable contribution to the national COVID-19 response.
The CHASE Fund, along with 29 entities from across the public and private sectors, international organisations and governments, were presented with awards at the COVID-19 Donor Partners Recognition Banquet held on July 29 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.
CHASE continued to contribute significantly to the Government’s efforts to manage the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the interventions done by CHASE was the funding of a genome sequencer, valued at $40M, for the National Influenza Centre (NIC). The sequencer, along with its accessories and reagents, were delivered to the NIC over the period October 2021 to January 2022, and, effective January 17, 2022, the country attained the capability of testing for variants of viruses. The machine will continue to be relevant in the post-COVID era, as it allows for sequencing of other viruses, including HIV and Influenza.
