Ministry of Health's Virtual Media Conference - Tuesday April 14th 2020

KEY POINTS FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH'S VIRTUAL MEDIA CONFERENCE - TUESDAY APRIL 14TH 2020 - Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the world is closely approaching its 2 millionth COVID-19 case. - There has been no change in T&T in the update from overnight. Samples Submitted For Testing: 1152 Positive Samples: 113 Number of Deaths: 8 Number of Persons Discharged: 17 Sixty patients remain hospitalised at Couva and Caura for COVID-19: CAURA: 14 patients (All Stable) COUVA: 46 patients (3 in High Dependency Unit and 43 Ambulatory and Stable) SANGRE GRANDE STEP DOWN FACILITY: 28 patients (All Stable) - Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh on contraceptives: 1.8 million male condoms in T&T, and 67,000 female condoms. - Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh assures that services at all hospitals and Health Centres remain uninterrupted. Major hospitals are operational (Port of Spain General Hospital, St. James Medical Hospital, St. Ann’s Mental Hospital, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope Women’s Hospital, San Fernando General Hospital and Sangre Grande Hospital). However, elective surgeries rescheduled out of an abundance of caution. TOBAGO: Scarborough General Hospital up and running along with 17 Health Centres. Dialysis service up and running. - Number of Ventilators currently in T&T dedicated to COVID-19 Treatment: 69. - There are 17 ventilators at Point Fortin Area Hospital and 15 at Arima Hospital. - Ten ventilators are expected to come in this week (Six will go to the Augustus Long Hospital and four to Tobago) - Health Minister: “Test, Test, Test all suspected case and that is what we have been doing from Day One.” - More resources dedicated to manning COVID-19 Hotline. Calls to the hotline have been reduced and more serious calls are being received. - The Health Ministry has reached out to foreign experts regarding those cases where epidemiological tracing/reviews have to be done. - Health Minister assures that arrangements will be made for visually impaired or disabled persons diagnosed with COVID-19. - Acting County Medical Officer of Health for St. Andrew’s/St. David County, Dr. Allana Quamina Best, clarifies that a step down facility is NOT a hospital. At the step down facility in Sangre Grande, nurses, a cleaner, and a grounds man have agreed to live on site to care for recovering patients. The patients are allowed to be outside but cannot leave the compound. Family members are not allowed to visit but can drop off items needed by patients at the designated area. - The Ministry continues to look for alternative step down facilities to continue providing supportive care for COVID-19 patients during their recovery. - Dr. Quamina-Best said there is no approved medication to treat COVID-19. As such, measures have to be taken to slow transmission and reduce the number of people being infected. This is why social distancing and the Stay At Home measures have been put in place. - Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh reassures that the Ministry of Health “will never purposely discomfort any patient recovering from COVID-19.” He said the biggest complaint coming from the recovering patients at the Sangre Grande step down facility is that they want to go home. He said the Ministry of Health is doing everything to support all patients.