Ministry of Health's Virtual Media Conference - Sunday April 12th 2020

KEY POINTS AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH'S VIRTUAL MEDIA CONFERENCE - SUNDAY APRIL 12TH 2020:

- Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh gave a breakdown of bed capacity at facilities throughout the five Regional Health Authorities in T&T in preparation for a second and third wave of COVID-19 patients.

- Minister Deyalsingh said there are 838 hospital beds and they come at “tremendous cost to the country in this time of low economic activity.”

- The following is the breakdown of bed capacity at the various facilities:
ARIMA: 94
AUGUSTUS LONG HOSPITAL: 50
BALANDRA: 40 (Isolation/Quarantine and Convalescent Centre)
CAURA: 100
COUVA: 230
DEBE/UWI CAMPUS: 96 (Convalescent Centre)
NAPA: 60 (Isolation/Quarantine Centre for Health Workers)
PRINCESS ELIZABETH CENTRE: 13 (To support POSGH as Isolation Centre)
SANGRE GRANDE: 30 (mainly as a Convalescent Centre)
TACARIGUA: 50 (mainly as a Convalescent Centre)
TOBAGO: 75 (Acute, Severe and Critical Cases)

- The Health Minister said there are benefits to having bed capacity spread over the five RHAs, including faster recovery for patients and a safer work environment for health workers.

- Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh urges young men to "man up" and stop taking unnecessary risks by venturing out to socialise. He said if there is a second or third wave of COVID-19 in T&T, young men who attend COVID-19 parties and disobey the call to Stay Home will be the root cause. He said they are "hell bent on crashing the system."

- The Health Ministry will soon receive 10,000 face masks from a Non Governmental Organisation. These masks will go directly to FEEL for distribution.

- Chief Medical Officer Dr. Roshan Parasram confirmed that there are now 59 patients split between Couva and Caura.

CAURA: 18 patients with Mild to Moderate symptoms and very Stable.
COUVA: 41 patients (36 Stable and Ambulatory, 1 in ICU, 4 in HDU).

- Four persons at Caura are being prepared for discharge to their homes.

- In addition, Dr. Parasram confirmed that 30 persons were discharged from the Couva Hospital overnight and are now at a step down facility.

- Nineteen out of the 22 persons quarantined at the Balandra facility have been discharged to their homes. Three persons from the Balandra facility who recently tested Positive for COVID-19 are now being treated at a facility.

- CMO Dr. Roshan Parasram: There is no way of knowing if people who have contracted COVID-19 will be immune for life, or for any period of time, as it is a new virus. Time will tell.

- National Security Minister Stuart Young emphatically states that race played no part in the repatriation of 33 TT Nationals who were under mandatory quarantine in Barbados. "Everything has been done based on medical advice.” Minister Young said COVID-19 Test Kits were sent to Barbados but there was a shortage of swabs there. They will be tested on their return to T&T. He also assured there are no backroom discussions with Attorneys representing the TT Nationals who were unable to make it home before the borders closed.

- Any exemptions for returning nationals are being done on a case by case basis by the Minister of National Security in consultation with the Minister of Health, Chief Medical Officer, and the Prime Minister.

- Minister Young noted that there are unauthorised persons claiming to be representatives acting on behalf of the Government for TT Nationals in Margarita. There is no repatriation flight from Venezuela to T&T.

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