Ministry of Health's Virtual Press Conference - Thursday April 2nd 2020

KEY POINTS FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH'S VIRTUAL MEDIA CONFERENCE: - Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says today marks a turning point in how Trinidad and Tobago treats with COVID-19. He said if citizens stay home, T&T’s health resources will not be depleted. He said if citizens fail to heed the call to stay home, chances are T&T's health resources will be depleted due to an increase in cases. He said: “I am urging the population to help us manage the resources.... My fear is if we don’t, we will be in a bad position.” - Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roshan Parasram has revealed the Geographic Information System (GIS) which captures, stores, analyses, manages, and present all types of geographical data on COVID-19 cases in T&T. This is how contact tracing is mapped. There is no evidence of Community Spread. The media will have access to the Geographic Information System (GIS). - Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi outlines plan to release certain categories of prisoners in an attempt to manage COVID-19 in the prison system. He said there are 3,959 prisoners in the various prisons as well as the Immigration Detention Centre in Trinidad and Tobago. - AG Al-Rawi: At the Remand end, there are 149 persons held for non violent offences (including minor offences such as failure to pay child maintenance, traffic offences, obscene language, resisting arrest, marijuana possession above legal limit), and on the Convicted side, there are 239 people who could fit the criteria for possible release. The State is looking to expedite this process and will approach the Courts today. The Courts are operating virtually. AG Al-Rawi assures the risk these prisoners present to society will be low as in most cases, they are in Remand because they were too poor to access bail. He assures in some special cases and where warranted, the victim’s voice will be heard in the Court. Those prisoners who are considered for release will be medically screened for diseases before they are freed. - Persons who have to report to Police Stations must continue to do so. - Autopsies not done of the five elderly persons who succumbed to COVID-19. - 4,000 COVID-19 Test Kits received from China are being used by CARPHA and are NOT Rapid Test Kits.