THE Ministry of Health and Wellness says that notwithstanding the opening up of the country to Jamaicans abroad and tourists, it does not expect a change in its forecast that 1.6 million could contract COVID-19 over a year.

At a virtual press conference from the ministry Thursday, epidemiologist Dr Karen Webster-Kerr explained that: “We dont expect that to change because for any virus after a certain amount of persons would have gotten it, then the susceptible population goes down and so less persons will get it.

In early March, the ministry projected that about 800,000 people with the virus could seek medical care in public and private medical facilities and that at the height of the outbreak the island could see as many as 35,000 people seeking care within a given week.

However, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton stressed that with the country opening up, and the return of a sense of normality, Jamaicans are being warned against becoming complacent.

Dr Tufton urged those with relatives in nursing homes to insist on sanitisation standards.