(Reuters) - Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Friday declared the island a disaster area because of the threat of coronavirus infection and said his country is seeking 100 Cuban nurses to help it to cope.

“We are trying as hard as possible to contain the spread of the virus,” Holness said on his Twitter account, adding that he was imposing travel curbs on people arriving from Britain.

Jamaica has so far reported eight cases of coronavirus infection. The latest measures to combat the virus outlined by the government include putting part of the island under quarantine and recruiting retired medical professionals.