JP Tropical Group Ltd. is cognizant of the growing concerns surrounding the global impact of the coronavirus (COVID – 19) and the number of imported cases in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean. We continue to monitor the situation very closely, and pay keen attention to the regular updates provided by the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.), Centers for Disease and Control (C.D.C.) and the World Health Organisation (W.H.O.) to ensure that we take the necessary measures to protect our employees and our valued customers, while ensuring business continuity.
JP Tropical Group Ltd. remains committed to the health and wellness of all our stakeholders and as such, have taken the following measures to minimize risk and increase safety:
1. We have mobilized our crisis management team which has been monitoring the situation very closely, providing regular updates internally to our employees and devising various precautionary methods to respond to any threat of the virus.
2. All customer-interfacing areas have been equipped with sanitization stations and we have increased the frequency of cleaning of these and other highly trafficked areas, including all entryways, daily.
3. We have restricted all non-essential travel for travelling officers including senior executives.
4. We have implemented our ‘Work from Home’ policy for departments that can effectively operate remotely.
5. In addition, all employees that interact with our products and customers have been issued the necessary safety gear, including sanitizers, masks and gloves.
Additionally, we have put in place business continuity plans to ensure that during this period the regular supply of our products is not disrupted, and we have moved to ensure that we maintain a consistent supply. This includes increased manufacturing of our Tortuga Rum Cakes and JP St Mary’s banana, plantain, cassava, breadfruit chips and banana bread, which will remain available in the regular channels such as supermarkets, wholesales and our street vendors where applicable. We continue to uphold the high safety and quality standards of JP Farms to ensure a steady supply of our ripe and green bananas and pineapples, which will help to boost your immune system with their nutrition packed benefits.
JP Tropical Group Ltd. remains steadfast in our responsibility to safeguard our
stakeholders. We also encourage our employees and members of the public to take their own precautionary methods. These measures include, but are not limited to, maintaining a safe recommended social distance of 3 – 6 ft., washing hands with soap as often as possible for at least 20 seconds, avoiding touching your face -- including your eyes, nose and mouth -- and cleaning frequently used surfaces often .
We are confident that as a country we will overcome this challenge. Let us do our best to stay healthy.
David Martin, Managing Director of JP Tropical Group Ltd.