Deyalsingh: 'These are not normal times'

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh described the covid19 pandemic as "worse than World War I, World War II and 9/11 put together."

At a virtual news conference held by the ministry on Friday, Deyalsingh said, "These are not normal times."

He observed the world has already changed because of the pandemic.

"One government has fallen in Kosovo over covid. The minister of health in the Netherlands collapsed after making a speech."

While World War I, World War II and 9/11 affected certain parts of the world, Deyalsingh said covid19 was different. "We have one million cases in 200 countries. This is a global pandemic."

Deyalsingh said this means that for people in TT "it is not business as usual."

He warned that if people who believe they have covid19 they should do not go into a medical facility to be treated, "You are condemning you family to death."

Deyalsingh added, "If you are reckless, you condemn your children, your parents and your grandparents to death."

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said, "We have seen cases where people wait too long and they come in with very severe symptoms and they have actually died."

He added, "If you don't let us know early on what those symptoms are, when we can deal with you well, and you are mild, when you wait too long, the ultimate end can mean death in terms of not being able to manage it properly."

Parasram declined to comment on detailed arrangements being made to transfer covid19 patients who are recovering or in a stable condition from the Couva Hospital to another isolation facility. He said the TT Defence Force will facilitate the transfer of these patients from Couva.

Parasram said the patients have shown mild to no symptoms and there are plans to test each patient twice before releasing those who have fully recovered.