A state of public emergency is slated to begin in the parish of St. Catherine at midnight and will last for 30 days.

Jamaica Prime Minister Bruce Golding made the announcement in Parliament a short while ago.

In the meantime Golding is at this hour moving a resolution to extend the state of emergency that was imposed on May 23 in Kingston and St. Andrew to July 22.

Golding brought the motion to Parliament a day before the measure was scheduled to expire.

Parliament is expected to debate the resolution.

The month long limited state of emergency in Kingston and St Andrew was imposed on May 23 to help the security forces in their effort to nab fugitive, Christopher Dudus Coke who is wanted in the US for drugs and gun offences.

Yesterday, Cabinet approved the extension, but its not yet known for how long it will last.

There are early indications that many Jamaicans would embrace an extension of the measures and a continuation of military operations not only in Kingston and St Andrew but other crime hotbeds.

There have been ongoing discussions on whether the state of the emergency should be expanded to other areas.