PM: COOK AT HOME

In an effort to manage the spread of coronavirus and reduce the chances of further infections, the Prime Minister has announced that as of Tuesday morning, restaurants will be closed.

Under the initial restrictions, they could offer pickup services only. The PM also said the stay-at-home order restricting non-essential activities will be extended to April 30. Speaking at a media briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, on Monday, Dr Rowley said the decision to close restaurants was taken to reduce the number of people leaving their homes to buy food there.

He said based on the latest analyses from medical professionals, TT was at a crucial point in dealing with the spread of the coronavirus.

He told people who relied on restaurants for meals to prepare their food at home while the stay-at-home order is in place.

“This is the point at which we can lose control,” he said, warning that there might be people infected with the virus who are still going out in public.

So, he said, “We are not permitting food services of any kind until April 30, meaning that people who got their supplies from those arrangements will have ample time at home to prepare your own food.

“More importantly, we removed a significant number of people from having to come out.

“We are asking the population to come in and stay in until April 30, and that comes into effect from tomorrow. That is how we are aiming to not walk a road that others have walked because they have missed this milestone.”

Rowley also said the extension of the stay-at-home order, which was originally expected to last until April 20, will have knock-on effects on the reopening of schools and the date of the Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) examinations, which would be decided by the Ministry of Education.

Referring to the remarks made by Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday during her address to the UK and the Commonwealth, Rowley called on the public to act responsibly.

“There will come a day when we will ask, ‘What did you do to save the nation?’ That is the question I put to all citizens.

“Will it be: you complied with the regulations outlined on a daily basis, or that ‘I was too smart to comply and I escaped from the hospital’?

“If the latter is your answer to the question being asked, well, you pose a threat. And it doesn’t take many people to overturn all we have sacrificed for so far.”

Also with immediate effect, the public is advised to wear facemasks when venturing outdoors.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh urged people to note while such facemasks reduced the chances of infection, the primary advice from the ministry was to stay at home and avoid contact with others.

On the issue of the disposal of bodies of people who have died from the coronavirus, Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said the best-practice advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) was that such bodies were to be disposed of immediately.

“That is a mandate of the policy as it relates to the disposal of human remains from covid19 patients for TT. It is also the policy of the WHO that we get the burial or cremation done in the shortest possible time from the time of death.”

Relatives of a Tobago man who died from the disease on Sunday complained that they were not given adequate time to mourn him because of the policy of quick interment.

Rowley said he understood the grief the families of the dead would experience during these times of social distancing, as he recently returned from the funeral of his eldest brother Math­ias Joseph, 81, in Tobago.

He said while it would seem like “torture” for the family, it was a necessary precaution.

Rowley also commended the police for enforcing the law while the stay-at-home orders were in effect. But, he said, despite the government’s insistence that the public should stay at home, a few people continued to go out.

“Some people in our country seem to not deal with common sense and only respond to law enforcement. I do not think it is possible for anybody to truthfully say at this time that they are unaware of the requests being made of them.

“It is either you are unaware or you don’t care. Either way the police will enforce the law. “

But, he added, “There isn’t a law for every irresponsible action you will take. Be your brother’s keeper.”