CMO: Risk assessment guides public regulations

CHIEF Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Roshan Parasram has defended all decisions taken regarding public health regulations to combat and contain covid19, saying advisors to the Prime Minister make recommendations with the goal of limiting the amount of “super spreader” events which could cause a spike in infections.

“Any facility that would allow for the congregation of a large number of people without allowing for social distancing and without allowing for masks, poses the risk of having a ‘super spreader’ event in that area, especially if they go into those areas when they are ill,” Parasram said at the Ministry of Health’s virtual press briefing on Monday.

That basis could be what was used in the issuing of regulations for the reopening of businesses in the service industry like bars, restaurants and cinemas, as well as for the recent reopening of casinos and members clubs, which saw a bit of confusion over the weekend on whether people were allowed to patronise the Santa Rosa Park in Arima for horse racing last Saturday.

According to reports, people had to be turned away from Santa Rose Park after they went there thinking they would be allowed to see the races live.

Despite regulations allowing for the reopening of casinos and members clubs at a 50 per cent capacity, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi advised through a Whatsapp message last weekend that the race track itself, with a capacity to accommodate hundreds of people, was not opened to the public.

In a Newsday report, Arima Race Club president Robert Bernard denied that fans were allowed on the race track, and those who were allowed in the stands included owners, trainers and grooms.

Similarly, these regulations to combat covid19, developed to limit the mass spreading of the virus, have adversely affected the service industry, which has seen the closure of several restaurants and bars, and has also seen that cinemas remain closed, after recent regulations allowed for them to reopen but without the allowance of indoor dining.

Despite several calls by business entities including the TT Beverage Alcohol Alliance (TTBAA), the TT Bar Operators Association, and even the TT Chamber of Commerce, to have faith in bars and restaurants to open in a responsible manner, the risk that is associated with the opening of some 5700 bars and the allowance for indoor dining in restaurants remain high.

“Our recommendations at a base in terms of public health regulations would be guided by not having places open where you can’t wear a mask and social distance at the same time,” Parasram said. “If you look at our recommendations so far you would see that those basic premises are what we are trying to achieve.”

Now with scientists openly acknowledging that covid19 could be spread through aerosolisation – tiny contagious particles exhaled by a person even when they are not talking, which act in a way similar to smoke – the risk factors involved with opening of bars, restaurants, casinos and members clubs need to be seriously assessed before any advice is given to reopen.