PM: Cautious phased reopening of business

After six weeks of stay-at-home restrictions, and after monitoring covid19 in TT, the Prime Minister said TT can relax, but not too much.

Speaking at a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre on Saturday, Dr Rowley announced from Monday the restrictions would be relaxed on a phased basis over the next six weeks. It would begin with food establishments and, some time in the future, end with the opening if TT’s borders.

In the first phase, restaurants and food establishments, including street food, would be opened for business but with no in-house dining. People would be allowed to engage in outdoor activities as long as physical distancing and gathering restrictions are observed. Hardware stores would be allowed to open until 4 pm and three large manufacturing companies would be allowed to begin operating once again.

He said the tentative timeframe for Phase One will be May 11 – 23 but progress to each phase would depend on the success of the previous phase. He stressed that people’s co-operation and conduct would be the determining factor. Until that time, everything else would remain the same and people who were not part of the essential services or worked at organisations that were exceptions were to remain at home.

He said the government would continue with testing and monitoring, and if there were no “worrisome changes” in the number of covid19 cases, movement to the next phase would progress.

“If the numbers continue to be just as good as they are now, we will take steps to advance towards the phases mentioned so that phase two can come earlier than May 24 and phase three can come earlier than June 7.

“But if, on the other hand, as we expose more people, taking a little more risk, if there is a spike and we believe it’s not under control, then we will have to make the necessary, sensible arrangements. And of course, if the spike looks serious and more dangerous, the only response is to resort to what we have done before, which we know has worked for us.”

Rowley said people were to wear face masks at all times outside the home, and people could wear them inside if there were also elderly people in the home.

“You are required to do that. Because what we are saying, what the science says, each and every one of us must behave as though we are carrying the virus. And if we are, we don’t want it to leave us to go anywhere.”

He said government went through a bidding process, 35 suppliers qualified to provide various sized masks, and “tens of thousands” of masks were ordered from a number of suppliers for distribution to the public.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh also noted that elective surgeries would be restarting next week. He said Dr Anthony Parkinson, technical adviser on hospital services in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, would be working with the regional health authorities to get the listings of people in need of various surgeries and prioritise them.

He said the ministry would distribute personal protective equipment (PPE) to the original public health service for use in these surgeries.

“Now with elective surgeries you have to assume that every patient is a possible covid19 carrier. So we have to protect the surgeons, the anaesthesiologists, the nurses.”

Rowley said schools would remain closed and the government was hoping to open in September, but the CSEC and CAPE exams should begin in the first week of July. There was no word yet about SEA.

In addition, he said the accelerated payment of a "substantial proportion" of outstanding VAT and income tax refunds, and overdue payables Government owed suppliers and contractors had begun and continued through the Ministry of Finance. He said payment would not affect projects as contractors in the public and private sectors were eager for work to begin again.

He also said the closure of TT’s borders “allowed us to bring people in in a managed way.” He said in the future, after covid19 was under control, opening the borders and allowing an inflow of infected people from the outside was the only way to expose citizens to the virus.

Therefore, the borders would remain closed until the government was satisfied that the external environment was safe enough to accept people from outside the country.

“I know that people are anxious to get back to their livelihoods,” the Prime Minister said but he cautioned, “Please don’t forget why we came out in the first place. Do not forget why we are doing this. Do not forget why, in the first place, we took such drastic action. And don’t for one minute believe that because we have not had a number of coffins purchased for this purpose, because that hasn’t happened we have gotten away.”

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Phase 1, May 11-23

- Restaurants and food establishments, including street food, may open until 8 pm. There will be no in-house dining and street food vendors are expected to observe physical distancing and high levels of hygiene.

- Members of the public can engage in restricted outdoor activities. However no team or contact sports, or any activities encouraging gatherings of more than five people are allowed.

- Hardware stores can open until 4pm

- WITCO (tobacco), TCL (cement) and Nu-iron (iron and steel) have been given permission to resume activity.

Phase 2, May 24-June 6

- The manufacturing sector will be reopened

- All public-sector construction will recommence

- Possible reopening of NLCB operations

Phase 3, June 7-20

- All public service personnel will be back out to work. Flexi hours will be used and possibly alternating days.

- Public transport, maxis, and taxis can increase their passenger capacity to 75 per cent.

Phases 4 and 5

The public will be allowed to visit beaches, rivers and business places including malls, retail stores, bars and cinemas.

Phase 6

Opening of borders