ÐÓ°ÉÐÔ°É

Jamaica has now recorded 6,482 COVID-19 cases, and some 869 were among senior citizens between 60 to 90 years and older.

The Health Ministry has indicated that these numbers reflect that elders are aware of the threat the virus poses to them, and are adhering to the protocols.

"The consequences of that are that it is disrupting their lifestyle, sufficient to create either mental or economic hardships on them," said Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton yesterday during a media briefing.

In addition to the 71 COVID deaths recorded among seniors, Tufton says the older population are not being visited by family members and they are not able to go out and exercise.

"They are sitting in the couch for extended periods and some of the basic chores that they would do or have others do for them is no longer the case. So, you're having an isolation that is negatively impacting them," he said.

Professor Denise Eldemire-Shearer, expert on public health and ageing, said she has done surveys and found that many of the approximately 350,000 senior citizens have been negatively impacted.

"The issue of sitting in a chair or lying in a bed for seven months is beginning to take its toll. Only 40 per cent of our seniors lived with a spouse. And only 14 per cent said family visited ... people are staying in contact via the telephone," she said. Alarmingly, 34 per cent of senior citizens report that they are experiencing anxiety.

"They're feeling left out, they're feeling isolated, they are feeling alone, and a couple of them have said 'this is not life ... this doesn't make sense'," Eldemire-Shearer added.

She believes authorities can prevent Jamaica's COVID response from leading to another set of problems for seniors post-COVID.

"The message has to be very specific. Stay at home but keep your doctor's clinic appointment ... stay at home but make sure you do exercise. Get up, walk around, go outside and stay connected. Seventy-eight per cent have phone calls from family, but 50 per cent said that the main stay of keeping connected was church," she said. "We've seen a number that have become bed-bound and those are going to end up in long-term care for you next year."

Meanwhile, Tufton says a mental health response to COVID will be launched in short order, which will target senior citizens as a vulnerable group.

On Tuesday, Jamaica recorded six new COVID-19 related deaths, two of which were previously under investigation, increasing the tally to 107. There were also 74 new cases.