Tunapuna Police Station reopens after sanitisation

The Tunapuna Police Station was reopened on Monday after being closed for sanitisation when an officer attached to the Northern Division Task Force tested positive for covid19 last Thursday.

TTPS PRO Francis Joseph told Newsday the station was immediately closed to the public and the building adequately sanitised on Monday.

He could not say if officers who interacted with the patient were removed from active duty, swabbed and put in self-quarantine.

Within the last weeks, approximately 11 policemen have tested positive, including one from Tobago.

President of the police Social and Welfare Association Insp Gideon Dickson told Newsday on Monday that he was very concerned about increasing covid19 cases among police officers.

“We all should be concerned but we all should be very realistic to the point that, at some stage, all of us are going to be exposed to covid19 in one way or the other. What we have to do in response to that, is to try to mitigate the rapidness of spread by following the Ministry of Health guidelines.”

He said the association had completed and was enforcing its covid19 policy. It outlines that an officer who interacted with a patient or suspected case for ten-15 minutes must be put on the contact tracing list and subsequently quarantined.

Asked about rumours that officers who were supposed to be in self-quarantine still reporting to work, he said, “It’s very difficult for me to accept that at this point of time.”