By Chantalé Fletcher
CARONI East MP Dr Rishad Seecheran calls on the government to make rapid antigen tests kits available to the public.
He said, “While the Delta variant was in our midst, the average man on the street cannot access antigen tests kit which was over the counter in every country around the world.”
Dr Seecheran was speaking during the matter on the adjournment in the Lower House on Wednesday.
He said the current surge of Covid-19 cases was due to a lack of testing being implemented in the Safe Zones.
Dr Seecheran said some employers required a negative PCR test or another approved test every two weeks from unvaccinated employees.
He said, “However, according to science, a PCR test was only valid for three days from the time it was taken, thus an unvaccinated can indeed be Covid-19 positive from day four to day 14 from the date of taking the test.”
Dr Seecheran said that the WHO antigen kits were widely available and in many cases were provided at no cost to the employer which eliminated the costly PCR tests.
He asked, “Should an asymptomatic vaccinated but Covid positive continue to work in a safe zone, how would patrons or employees know they were in danger of contracting the virus?”
Dr Seecheran said fully vaccinated people with a WHO vaccine who worked in safe zones were not required to take the test. “Yet, how do you detect breakthrough infections in asymptomatic persons.”
He said the Government ignored the asymptomatic in society which could account for as much as 50% of Covid-219 cases.
Dr Seecheran said, “When we look at the official figures for T&T, they are skewed to reflect mostly symptomatic Covid positives. While every other nation around the world utilises WHO-approved over the counter rapid antigen test kits to screen for this asymptomatic carrier.”
He said, “These persons drive transmission of the Delta variant as a vaccinated person was becoming Covid positive and in many cases without symptoms.
Dr Seecheran said, “Given the fully vaccinated levels were around 45% and there was an absence of effective therapeutics, we would have to adopt additional testing in order to combat the Delta variant.”
He said, “If we had used these tests in March and April of this year, we may have avoided the surge after Easter weekend.”
However, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said anyone can bring in a rapid antigen test kit once approved by the Chemistry Food and Drugs Division of the Ministry of Health.
He said Dr Seecheran gave the impression that there was no antigen testing in Trinidad.
Deyalsingh said, “To date, we have done 19,800 free antigen tests free in T&T but the member would not acknowledge that as leadership in a difficult time is difficult for some people.”
Deyalsingh said, “Every time, a UNC spokesperson opened their mouths was to throw cold water on the vaccination programme and put doubts in people’s mind about the effectiveness of vaccination.”
He said from an epidemiological point of view, safe zones have succeeded.
“To date, there has been no clusters, no cases of Covid-19 and the Delta variant reported in any safe zone, hence you cannot blame Delta for the safe zones.”
Deyalsingh said that both returning nationals and migrants were also tested for the Delta variant upon entry into the country.
“Place people first, and not party,” was the message Deyalsingh sent to the United National Congress (UNC).
He urged them to encourage their followers to get vaccinated on an ongoing basis.
