The Ministry of Health and Wellness is consider the use of coronavirus (COVID-19) self-test kits locally for personal and firm-level surveillance or monitoring of the virus.

Dr Christopher Tufton, minister of health and wellness, said during Tuesday’s (November 9) sitting of the House of Representatives that questions have been raised about Jamaica going the route of other nations globally which have authorised the use of the self tests which are administered by individuals on themselves, rather than through a lab.

“This has become more popular globally, as the technology evolves and is becoming now a more important part of the overall self-check at the organisation level check,” Tufton told parliamentarians.

“The Ministry will review the information that is available and investigate how such a test could be used in our situation. I have had meetings with the critical technocrats within the Ministry and this discussion will be expanded to [other] critical stakeholders, with the intention of assessing and, hopefully, allowing for the introduction, sooner rather than later, of these self-test kits for personal use and firm-level surveillance.”

Tufton said the health ministry was also communicating with the Ministry of Transport and Mining on the standard requirements of airlines that require COVID-19 testing for travel.

“This is with a view of attempting to meet those requirements. Some of those requirements are not up to us; it is what the airliners require. They normally require a lab-validated test [and] to the extent that we can make the process more efficient and less expensive, then we will pursue that,” he said.