Opposition spokesman on Health Dr. Alfred Dawes has called on the government to seize a container that washed ashore at Hellshire beach in St. Catherine on Thursday, loaded with raw chicken meat.

Dr. Dawes has also warned citizens to avoid eating or selling the chicken they took from the damaged container, as this poses a serious public health risk.

His call comes in the wake of videos circulating on social media depicting persons raiding the damaged container.

Dr. Dawes noted that while it may be tempting as an opportunity to get free food, Jamaicans should exercise extreme caution and refrain from consuming or distributing any of the chicken recovered from the shipping container, which appears to have washed ashore due to rough seas.

The spokesman pointed out that there is a high risk of contamination.

Dr. Dawes urged persons who took the container chicken to dispose of them and also warned the general public to be vigilant about the chicken they eat.