Deyalsingh: Repatriation raises covid19 cases by 20%

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the repatriation of TT nationals from overseas was now adding some 20 per cent to the tally of covid19 cases being detected in TT.

“The number of covid-positive patients on the repatriation flights take up our covid numbers by about 20 per cent on a daily basis," he said. So if you have 30 local cases, you could add about six to that. So that is the impact on repatriation flights.

“That is why we were so careful in not allowing a free-for-all with open borders. Could you imagine what would have happened? As difficult as it is for people stuck abroad – and we empathise and sympathise – but we do have a population here to protect.”

Deyalsingh said ahead of a formal border reopening, TT might be part of the Caricom bubble, which the Prime Minister will speak about.

While downward trends in the numbers of covid19 cases allow an opening up of more aspects of TT, he warned the population was letting down its guard in wearing masks.

“That keeps me up at night. Even though you have a penalty of $1,000, individuals still are not adhering to the mask policy, and with time, as the numbers come down, complacency sets in.”

He said 95 per cent of any group of people must be masked to block virus transmission, but recently he has not been seeing that personally.

“In Sangre Grande I’m not seeing 95 per cent. In the Croisee (San Juan) when I pass to come to work, I’m not seeing 95 per cent. In Port of Spain, I’m not seeing it.”

He said this failure could send up the numbers of cases and so stymie plans to reopen businesses.

Deyalsingh quipped that he had been glad to see rainfall at the reopening of beaches, to dissuade crowds attending and curb the spread of covid19. He empathised with cinema owners' plight of not being able to sell snacks but took a wait-and-see stance. On bars, he said places where people congregate with decreased inhibitions lead to viral spread.

He was speaking to reporters at a site visit to the new Sangre Grande Hospital, now under construction and due to be completed in late 2022. He was pleased with the pace of progress of work.

Deyalsingh said the $1 billion hospital was a 160-bed secondary hospital serving a population of about 130,000 residents in the area from Toco to Rio Claro and including Mayaro and Matelot, etcetera.

“I got my progress report this morning. As of now, everything seems to be on time, on target, on schedule, on budget.

“If that continues without any unforeseen circumstances, we hope to open this to the people of the eastern region by December 2022. It’s going to take roughly two and a half to three years for construction.”

He said it will have "all the bells and whistles" of a secondary facility. This hospital willbe located between the new enhanced health centre and the old hospital.

“So what we’re going to have is a campus of facilities, primary and secondary, for the people of Sangre Grande and the Eastern RHA (Regional Health Authority).”

He said work was now being done on the foundation, which an engineer earlier said was 40 per cent complete, and this will be followed by the erection in January of steel beams now being made in Spain.

Deyalsingh said the covid19 pandemic had only thrown off work on the site for two weeks during the lockdown.

Asked about health facilities for covid19 patients, he said he was hoping for a vaccine or therapeutic by next year to reduce the need for hospital space.

“That’s what the world is working towards. But in terms of hospital space right now, my figures tell me we are only at 20 per cent being used right now. So we are at a very good place.”

Deyalsingh said at present there was no plan to use this hospital for covid19 patients who were already served by Arima, Caura, Couva and Augustus Long Hospitals.

“So we have four secondary and tertiary hospitals dedicated to covid.

“Even at the height of community spread a month and a half ago, we never exceeded 60 per cent of capacity. So it needs to be taken in that context.”

Asked about pubic attendance at the Santa Rosa Race Track, he replied, “We gave permission for horse racing to happen in Arima back in August, I believe.”

He said he had asked Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, as line minister for horse racing, to convene a meeting with the representatives of the book-making sector.

“At that meeting, which was held virtually, we walked away with a gentleman’s agreement – and I belong to the old school: when you shake your hand on a deal, I consider that done and dusted. We walked away with a gentleman’s agreement that there would be no spectators, that horse racing as has happened in the past could go on without spectators.

“I think there was an expose in the Newsday and the Minister of Trade and Industry, who is line minister for horse racing, has asked for a report. We await that report.”

On Henry Grant, the man who died on a repatriation flight to TT, he said an autopsy was done in Puerto Rico and the report will be shared with the family and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO.) He had no details as to when the body would return.