Religious groups monitoring flu, covid viruses

WITH covid19 cases on the rise, coupled with the ongoing influenza season, religious organisations are closely monitoring these health developments and taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the viruses.

President of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) pundit Lloyd Mukram Sirjoo told Newsday that a meeting with religious leaders is being planned to discuss these health issues and other matters.

The virtual meeting is expected to take place on January 20 at 1 pm.

“We have not discussed much on it yet, but the health situation would be one of the issues we will have to discuss. I understand that it is spreading very quickly in other countries, which I will not name,” Sirjoo said by phone on Tuesday.

He hopes the meeting will result in recommendations or strategies that leaders can use to prevent the spread of the virus.

On Monday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh revealed Trinidad and Tobago had recorded five covid-related deaths in the last three weeks, after almost two months of no reported covid cases or deaths.

He said two of the covid-related deaths occurred between December 28 and 31, 2023, while three more people died between January 1 and 15, 2024.

Deyalsingh spoke at the launch of the ministry’s flu vaccination drive at the Divali Nagar in Endeavour, Chaguanas.

Influenza season started in October and ends in May. The ministry has warned that even healthy people can get very sick from the flu and spread it to others.

The IRO head believes the figures might be higher.

“My feeling is there might be a lot more cases than what was reported, because a lot of people do not rush to medical places right away when they get sick. They mind it, they keep it a while, then seek medical attention,” Sirjoo said. “The situation might be a little worse than what the ministry is reporting to the public.

"The Ministry of Health, the Government, has to take the lead and we will follow. As a religious organsiation, we always take the lead that governments give us, because they have the information to work with.”

In a statement on Tuesday, the Health, Safety and Environment Team (HSE) of the RC archdiocese renewed recommendations for parishes to exercise preventative care in the face of the new covid19 variant.

Four days earlier, on January 12, the archdiocese issued updated guidelines for infection prevention (bulletin 33) to members, referencing the new covid variant JN 1, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a “stand-alone variant of interest.”

The bulletin said people in Trinidad and Tobago and other parts of the Southern Caribbean are vulnerable to many respiratory illnesses that originate in Europe and North America. It added that people are susceptible to being affected by the illnesses that visitors from these temperate regions bring with them when they come to the region.

“Out of an abundance of caution, the HSE recommends that our parishes should exercise a high level of preventative care to minimise contracting any viral, respiratory illness,” it said.

“Each parish priest, in conjunction with the parish council/leadership team, may select from any or all of the covid19 preventative measures. For example, if you feel unwell, stay at home.”

The HSE recommended that all worshippers engage in good respiratory, hand and personal hygiene and that vulnerable people wear a well-fitting surgical or N95 face mask indoors.

The team added that hand sanitisers should be available at the entrances to churches and other buildings. It recommended leaving windows and doors open to ensure proper ventilation within the church and other buildings when occupied.

The team has also discouraged the sharing of “precious blood” (communion wine which symbolises Jesus’ blood).

During the height of the pandemic, faith-based organisations, as did the country, faced many restrictions such as mask-wearing mandates and banning gatherings as public health measures to slow the spread of the virus. As the number of cases went down, the restrictions were loosened and eventually reverted.

Imam Raffaic Mohammed of the Macoon Street (ASJA) masjid in San Fernando said many members continued to take preventative steps.

“They do not assemble as much and continue to take precautions. Some wear masks, others do not," Mohammed said. "We cannot force people to do anything, but we have to draw their attention to what is taking place. We have not gone to the extreme like in the pandemic.

"It is advisable that people wear masks and take precautions. "