MSJ: Covid19 will come, TT not prepared

Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) political leader David Abdulah said that it is only a matter of time before the coronavirus (covid19) reaches the shores of TT and yet there are no proper plans in place to deal with the virus.

Abdulah’s statement comes on the heels of the first case of the virus reported in the Caribbean, in the Dominican Republic. He said there is a need for a major national discussion in Parliament so that citizens will have an idea of the implication of the virus.

The MSJ leader was speaking at a press conference at the MSJ headquarters in San Fernando.

The virus, he said, can spread rapidly and no proper plans or protocols have been worked out to give clear guidelines on what to do.

“For example, if someone has the virus, will they be treated at home to minimise contact with the public? Or if someone shows up in a private institution with the symptoms, how will they go about addressing it?”

He reiterated that there was no set of guidelines or policies so as to prevent conflicting approaches when the virus shows up.

Citizens, he said, are also clueless as to what to do if a loved one began showing signs of the virus.

Abdulah said Pan America Health Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the virus would continue to spread rapidly. And some of the protocols worked out by other countries have not worked well, he said.

“We have to figure out what will be the best protocols for us. For example, those who have the symptoms, could they be tested at home? Could we set up isolation rooms?”

Abdulah said it would be challenging to lock down areas similar to what China has done as our borders are porous.

He said the Government must set up meetings with stakeholders as soon the prices of imported goods in TT will likely rise.