Ministry of Health’s Virtual Media Conference – Tuesday May 5th 2020

Key Points from the Ministry of Health’s Virtual Media Conference – Tuesday May 5th 2020: - Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the strict adherence to protocols has saved T&T from the worst during the COVID-19 pandemic. On calls for T&T to utilise antibody testing, he said T&T's long term approach to testing (using PCR machines) has shown to be effective, safe, and in the best interest of all. Highlighting that the United Kingdom had to dispose of 3 million serology test kits, Minister Deyalsing added that PCR Testing remains the “Gold Standard” in testing for COVID-19 while antibody/serology testing has shown to be “faulty.” As a result, Minister Deyalsingh stated that the Health Ministry will not give in to fads, miracle cures, untested scientific theories, and public pressure to do anything that jeopardises the health and safety of citizens. - Minister Deyalsingh said citizens must change and adjust their expectations on what their social lives will be going forward. He advised citizens to exhibit personal responsibility to prevent the spread of COVID-19, adding that the virus does not have to adapt to our environment, but people have to adapt to the virus. He said: “The days of partying, drinking, that type of thing, we all need to readjust what we expect out of life going forward.” - The Minister of Health will determine how social gatherings will look in the future. Minister Deyalsingh said, “At the end of the day, a lot of it redounds to how responsible citizens are.” - The following is the update on COVID-19 patients across the various facilities: CAURA: No patients COUVA: 1 patient (High Dependency Unit) HOME OF FOOTBALL STEP DOWN FACILITY: 5 patients NAPA Facility: 16 medical professionals who finished their tours in treating COVID-19 patients. SANGRE GRANDE STEP DOWN FACILITY: No patients UWI DEBE CAMPUS: 69 (TT Nationals who returned from Suriname) - Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roshan Parasram confirmed that the 33 TT Nationals who returned from Barbados two weeks ago will be discharged today after spending 14 days in quarantine. - Dr. Saed Rahaman, Director of Veterinary Public Health at the Ministry of Health, addressed COVID-19 workplace public health measures. He said there must be a paradigm shift for employers, employees, and the public to prevent the spread of COVID-19. - Dr. Saed Rahaman: It is important for employers to stagger employees during work hours, including in shared spaces such as lunchrooms. Employers must ensure workers are six feet away from each other, or if this is impossible, employers must use barriers/dividers to prevent spread of germs. Where possible, workstations can be moved further apart. The Ministry of Health is advocating the use of virtual meetings to prevent employees from gathering in one area. Employers can also move tasks and meetings to times where fewer workers will be in the building. - Dr. Saed Rahaman: Employers must provide adequate soap, water and disposable towels for employees to use after each break, bathroom visit, etc. It is necessary to set schedules for frequent restocking of these supplies as well as collection and removal of trash. Hand sanitisers with 65% alcohol should also be provided at workplaces. - Dr. Saed Rahaman: Face masks (cloth) must be worn by workers as a best practice to prevent transmission of droplets from coughs and sneezes. Cloth masks do not prevent inhalation of very fine particles and must be used along with social distancing measures. - Employees who regularly clean areas must use protective gloves and eye wear when cleaning areas. All businesses must keep material safety data sheets. People should not mix cleaning chemicals as this can result in the emission of hazardous gases. Soap and water remain the best agent for prevention of COVID-19. Another cheap and effective way to clean surfaces is to use 5 tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water. This presents no danger to people, and can be used during work hours with employees present. - All employees should know the signs, symptoms, risk factors and preventative measures of COVID-19. Employers should not take it for granted that their workers understand everything on COVID-19, as some may not be able to speak/understand fluent English. It is important for employers to demonstrate proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette to workers. - Employers must ensure sick workers stay home, or they must return home immediately if they become sick on the job.