Funds have been re-allocated from the Ministries of Finance and Local Government for a major drain cleaning exercise, which started on Friday.
Local Government Minister Noel Arscott says it is a joint effort between his Ministry and the Ministry of Health.
Additional funds are being sought for the project which will target areas most affected by mosquitoes.
“We hope it will go on for sometime, we hope in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to cleanup, have public education to rid the breeding sites of the mosquito,” he said.
The Local Government Minister said the drain cleaning exercise is not only a response to the presence of the Chikungunya virus.
And due to the high volume of mosquito nuisance complaints, health officials in St. Catherine are proposing that residents be trained as vector control volunteers.
Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish, Richard Baker, says because of the lack personnel at the St. Catherine Health Department it is impossible for the team to respond adequately.
Baker says the volunteers would be trained to among other things identify mosquito-breeding sites.
Residents have been calling for an extension of the vector control programme to prevent the spread of the Chikungunya virus.