Chief Secretary Ancil Dennis is calling for the full brunt of the law to be used on persons who break quarantine.
His call came mere hours after the Ministry of Health announced that they would start allowing COVID positive persons with mild symptoms to be quarantined at home.
Speaking at this week’s Post Executive Council News Conference on Wednesday, Mr. Dennis said he remains hopeful despite the island’s tourism sector taking another hit.
CMO Dr. Parasram says there is a chance to flatten the curve if persons change their behaviour.
Yesterday he referred to a graph, which tracks the period leading to the spike in cases.
While no mention was made of the General Election or the campaign, the Chief Medical Officer noted there were some events that may have triggered the spike.
He added that over the coming weeks there could be a turn around of the numbers.
The Ministry of Health is clearing house as it prepares for the growing number of COVID-19 positive cases.
State sanctioned home quarantine is being encouraged.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram told the COVID-19 news conference, some patients are to be released to finish their recovery at home.
And he said COVID positive patients would no longer need a negative test result to be discharged from step down facilities.
A similar arrangement is now in effect for asymptomatic persons.
Only persons who are moderately to severely ill will be taken to hospital.
The CMO said officials at the County Medical Officers of Health would do clinical telephone interviews.
Mild cases will be home quarantined for the duration of on average 20 days.
More than 400 COVID-19 positive patients are to be released from State quarantine.
They will be allowed to finish their quarantine at home.
Up to last evening, 159 new cases were recorded.
The Ministry said the new cases were from samples taken between August 18th and August 25th.
The total number of active cases now stands at 1,204.
Thirteen people have been killed in a stampede at a nightclub in Peru’s capital, Lima, after a police raid to enforce the country’s coronavirus lockdown measures.
At least 6 others were injured, including 3 police officers, as about 120 people tried to escape the Thomas Restobar Club on Saturday night shortly after police arrived to break up a party on its second floor.
Neighbours had alerted police about the event at the club in Lima’s Los Olivos.
An interior Ministry statement said the partygoers, fleeing all at once, tried to squeeze through the only entrance door and became trapped between the door and a staircase leading to the street.
The Ministry said the police operation, did not use any type of weapon or tear gas, but those attending the party tried to escape through the single exit, trampling each other and getting trapped in the stairway.
Police arrested at least 23 people at the scene.
However, some who were at the party and others living near the nightclub disputed the Ministry’s version of events, according to reports.
One resident said it appeared that police entered and threw tear gas canisters at them, and boxed them in.
Nightclubs have been banned from operating in the country since March because of the pandemic.
Women’s Minister Rosario Sasieta said she was outraged, aiming her anger at the club’s owner.
She said this should never have happened as the country is in a pandemic, a health emergency.
The Minister called for the maximum punishment possible for the nightclub owners.
Dominica has recorded its 2nd coronavirus positive case within a 24-hour period.
This is more than 3 months after it reopened its borders.
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit is urging Dominicans not to panic.
He admits that this will place an additional pressure on the health system but the authorities are prepared.
Mr. Skerrit says there is no need to close the borders once again.
Last Sunday night, the Prime Minister insisted that people should follow guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of the virus.
And while he did not provide details on the latest COVID victim that pushed the island’s tally to 20 home affairs, National Security Minister Rayburn Blackmoore said yesterday the infected person was from the West Coast Village of Campbell.
He urged residents to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.
Mr. Blackmoore said contact tracing has already started.
The San Juan Business Association says there is a growing trend of attacks on owners in and around the area.
President of the association Vivek Charran yesterday said concerns among business operators are increasing.
Last Sunday morning there was a fatal attempted robbery at the Happiness Supermarket in Barataria.
The owner of the supermarket was killed and some of his staff members were wounded.
The name of the dead Chinese national is given as Xian-Grong Dhang.
Eight suspects are in police custody.
Mr. Charran is horrified by the incident.
Among the suspects are two women and 2 Venezuelan nationals.
According to Mr. Charran that in itself is new and requires some analysis.
He noted the apparent age of the suspects.
Police say the suspects entered the business place at around 4am, carrying cutlasses and knives.
They went to the upper floor of the building where they attacked the employees and their boss.
According to police the suspects are from Belmont, Morvant and Laventille.
Police say from all indications it was an accident involving a truck, which led to the death of 44-year-old Rodney Ramsundar.
Mr. Ramsundar was killed at Syne Village, Siparia yesterday morning.
He was said to be walking along the roadway when a hydraulic device attached to a passing truck hit him.
Reports say the device became loose and flung open hitting Mr. Ramsundar in the head.
He died at the scene.
Police have been interviewing the driver of the truck.
An employee of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago tests positive for COVID-19.
In a statement yesterday UDECOTT said an employee tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Saturday.
The employee’s last day of work at UDECOTT’s head office on Sackville Street, Port of Spain, was August 18th.
UDECOTT notes that it took immediate action on being informed of the employee’s status.
The company explains that deep sanitisation of its head office was carried out on Sunday while all staff of the Finance Department were advised to self-quarantine for a 14-day period.
UDECOTT assures its operations would not be affected as matters related to the Finance Department’s functions would be addressed over the 14-day period.
It also says that all COVID-19 safety
protocols have always been practiced at all UDECOTT locations including office
sites, project sites and venues, to ensure the health and safety of all
employees.
UDECOTT makes the point that employee safety remains a top priority for the organisation.
It further adds that it will continue its robust sanitisation schedule, which was implemented in, May 2020.
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says there is evidence to suggest that there are specific places where spread of the virus seems more likely.
Among such places, bars and places of worship are among the areas leading the spread of the virus.
However National Bishop of the Pentecostal Assembly of the West Indies, Don Hamilton disagreed.
Bishop Hamilton yesterday told Newscenter 5 while it may be possible for clusters at church; he believes religious entities in this country have been following health protocols.
Meanwhile the Bar Keepers and Owners Association call for a meeting with the Prime Minister.
Yesterday Vice President Sateesh Moonasar also said only those who refuse to comply with the guidelines should be closed.
He noted that the restrictions currently in place are already forcing the closure of some establishments.
He called the situation dire and believes a different approach should be taken.
The Ministry of Health is promising to speed up the delivery of COVID-19 test results.
There have been growing concerns about the time it is taking for COVID-19 testing and the delivery of the results.
Yesterday the Ministry of Health said steps are being taken to change that.
Dr. Naresh Nandram yesterday denied what he called the narrative, which claims people are dying while awaiting results.
But Dr. Nandram is now promising that results will be delivered within minutes at public health institutions.
He also said testing facilities are being increased.
Yesterday an elderly man became the country’s latest COVID-19 fatality.
The Minister of Health said the patient had pre-existing medical conditions.
As of last evening the total number of cases stood at 1,099.
The Ministry said yesterday’s total, including the increase by 24 in the morning and another 68 late yesterday afternoon are the results taken from samples for the period August 20th to August 24th.
There were yesterday 919 active cases.
Of the 24 positive cases reported yesterday morning, 18 were tested at private labs.
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