By Sue-Ann Wayow
ALTHOUGH Covid-19 deaths and hospitalisations are decreasing, the population should not become complacent and too anxious to have more rollback of measures put in place to combat the virus.
“Let us not lose the gains we have made,” Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh emphasised at the Ministry of Health’s virtual Covid-19 update on Wednesday.
The minister was asked several questions by the media concerning the possibility of more rollback measures soon as well as policy changes that may occur as the pandemic evolves.
Speaking about healthcare workers, Deyalsingh said now they can be comforted that they can have some sort of relief and recovery time with the decreasing cases.
The minister said Trinidad and Tobago has already paid a high price of more than 3,500 deaths.
He said, “The public is seeing the deaths coming down, the public is seeing the hospitals starting to be depopulated and the public is starting to get a little bit complacent. We must be careful as a country that these gains we have made have been hard-won, 3,000 plus persons have in fact died.
“Our healthcare workers are literally on the verge of breaking point both physically, emotionally and psychologically.”
Deyalsingh said while several sectors have opened up in the recent past mainly for those vaccinated against Covid-19 with the exception of secondary school that has been re-opened for all pupils, two major areas of concern remain. Those were childcare centres as that age group cannot yet be vaccinated and the nightlife for the unvaccinated which he described as a high risk activity.
He said, “So we will take our time to protect the population even more, to protect the healthcare system which is doing pretty well these days.”
Deyalsingh said although some clinics were closed during the entire pandemic so far, “the traditional healthcare system never faltered.”
The minister said the final decisions concerning roll back measures will be made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
He repeated that no one could say exactly when the pandemic will end.
Deyalsingh said, “What people are looking forward to is the end of this stage of the pandemic which globally is called the acute phase. The current thinking among epidemiologists among other healthcare policymakers is that this virus may be become… notice my words… may become endemic and at that point in time, countries will have to adjust their responses.
“But it is difficult to give a timeframe. What we are hoping for right now is an end to this acute phase of the pandemic.”
