Deyalsingh: We've been preparing for covid19 delta variant

Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said his ministry has been preparing for the arrival of the covid19 delta variant for weeks.

Deyalsingh, speaking on I95 radio on Wednesday, said the ministry has been preparing a health response to the arrival of the highly contagious strain of covid19 originally identified in India.

“I have been telling people for a month now to get ready.”

On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed in a statement there are now two cases of the Delta variant in Trinidad and Tobago.

He said the ministry is in its second phase of expanding the intensive care unit (ICU) and there are twice the number of beds available. Emergency capacity has also been expanded.

He said, however, more health professionals to attend to patients are not available.

“A bed is not just a bed, you need people. And we don’t have twice the number of doctors and nurses.

“All the RHA health care professionals are tired, but they keep on turning up for work out of a sense of duty.”

Deyalsingh addressed a voice note of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of St Lucia Dr Sharon Belmar George where she urged the population to get vaccinated.

“That CMO was on the verge of tears as I was when everyone made fun of me about shedding a tear after seeing people liming on the promenade. We are tired of encouraging people to do the right thing.”

He said all the population must do to help the ministry is get vaccinated.

“We have made vaccinations free and accessible (yet) vaccination rates are plummeting.”

He said vaccination rates went from 15,000 a week, to 9,000 a week, and last week was 5,000.

Faria: Be responsible, get vaccinated

TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce CEO Gabriel Faria, in an interview with Newsday on Wednesday, said he had spoken to several businesses and the chamber believes most businesses recognise that they have to take the appropriate actions to provide a safe environment for employees and customers.

He said the chamber knew the variant was a possible risk.

“The reality is that, for now and the foreseeable future, we have to learn to live with covid19. What this means is changing the way we do things.”

He said he is hopeful that citizens will follow health protocols and added that the most responsible thing everyone can do is get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, and their co-workers from illness.

He said if citizens and businesses do not behave responsibly, it will result in another wave of infections.

“We all have the power to do the right thing and if we do that, I am confident we can get through this challenge and come out better.”

Annisette not 'caught up in hype'

General Secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) Michael Annisette said, however, there is nothing that can convince him to take the vaccine.

“It is my right to determine if an experimental drug should be used in my body when the questions of long-term effects of the vaccines have not been established,” said Annisette.

He said the people must have the right to decide whether to take the vaccine or not.

“People who wish to take it, that is their right…We must respect that right…I would not get caught up in the hype of the variant that we should run and make the thing mandatory. I don’t share that view.”

He said he continues to question the government on accepting liability should something go wrong.

“If they are so confident about the efficacy of the vaccine, why don’t they accept liability as a government, as a company? I challenge any one of them to say that. If we get a yes to that then we have no problems.”

“The variant is different, and we are presupposing the vaccine will work against it.”