As of yesterday evening, the Ministry of Health’s update on the COVID-19 outbreak brought more sobering news – the figures seemingly stabilising at 114 patients positive from the 1,300-plus tested and the fatalities holding at eight thus far.
Indeed, last week seemed to represent a good outing for the frontline health workers trying to prevent the virus’ spread.
For sure, those nationals who have been monitoring how the virus has been ravaging other world powers would feel some sense of pride at what Trinidad and Tobago has so far been able to achieve.
But this comfort must be short-lived. At just a few weeks into the Stay-at-Home drive and the Health Ministry yet to fully implement its random testing drive, it is too soon to determine whether we are truly on the path to flattening the curve.
Judging from the behaviour of some citizens last week as well, it is clear many amongst us still have not quite grasped the gravity of the situation. How else can one explain almost 10,000 people being outside with no valid reasons? This is what police officers found when they stopped vehicles during last Friday’s roadblock drive. As such, many of the drivers were sent back home, effectively delaying those persons in the essential services caught up in the exercises – including healthcare workers.
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith says the roadblocks were a planned response to increased public activity – both pedestrian and vehicular – in the three days before Friday’s action. This suggests many citizens are flouting the Stay-at-Home order and the intelligence seems accurate judging from the roadblock numbers and the frivolous excuses given by the occupants of vehicles when challenged by the police.
This media house thus lauds Griffith and his officers for their drive to force those bent on disregarding the public health order to comply and his promise to up the ante in future.
Having said that, this media house is somewhat unsettled by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh’s decision not to host a media briefing to update citizens on the COVID drive yesterday. While an argument can be made that there was a slowdown in the virus’ spread last week, it can be argued too that this is anecdotal as there is still not enough testing or data available.
Even in the absence of more activity on the actual virus front, we feel it was extremely important for Minister Deyalsingh Chief Medical officer Dr Roshan Parasram, as the main faces in the fight, to start the week with another urgent call for citizens to obey all directives given by the ministry to prevent the virus’ spread. This certainly is not a time for any break in transmission of information from the T&T Government on its approach to ridding the country of the virus.