By Sue-Ann Wayow
MINISTER of Health Terrence Deyalsingh says the Government is hoping to reopen the retail sector.
But before this is done, this group has to be vaccinated.
He encouraged not just business owners but their workers as well to get the Covid-19 shot.
The minister on Tuesday toured the mass vaccination site at the Southern Academy for Performing Arts (SAPA) managed by the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA). He also toured the drive-thru site at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva managed by energy company Proman.
He said the mass vaccination sites through the individual Chambers of Commerce, have been asked to compile listings. He encouraged all retail owners to send lists to the relevant chambers to be forwarded to the mass vaccination sites.
“We want to open it now to retail in addition to all the other sectors that we have targeted like construction, food and beverage, manufacturing,” he said.
Referring to persons due for their second vaccine shot, Deyalsingh said most people were taking their second dose of the vaccine as well.
Deyalsingh is asking the general public to visit the nearest health centre to receive the shot.
The 11 mass vaccination sites are being used to vaccinate persons from specific sectors, he said.
On Wednesday, the second drive-thru site will be open at the racetrack in Wallerfield.
Speaking to the media at the SAPA site, Deyalsingh said altogether the 109 health centres could vaccinate at least 7,000 per day which was equivalent to three mass sites as the ministry pushes towards its goal of vaccinating 600,000 persons by the end of September.
Deyalsingh said, “We now have in the country enough vaccines to vaccinate 400,000 persons which is 40% of the adult population in addition to the 200,000 who will be fully vaccinated by next weekend or so.”
He said, “What we are trying to do is make vaccines easily available in terms of reach, convenience and accessibility.
“Members of the public who do not have access to the mass vaccination sites are simply asked to go to your health centre. Members of the public should not be coming to the mass vaccination sites. These sites are being used to vaccinate major groups like food and beverage, construction and so on but there are 109 health centres for the public to register their interest and get vaccinated there.”
Health centres were classed into small, medium and large.
A small health centre can do about 50 vaccinations a day, a medium about 75 and a large about 100, Deyalsingh said.
And he is hoping that the population will not succumb to Covid-19 vaccination myths including the “sunlight kills Covid garbage.”
Covid-19 death toll approaches 1,000
Deyalsingh once again offered condolences to all persons whose families died as a result of the virus.
He said, “There is nothing that we could have said better or done differently. The fact is people all around the world have died from Covid.
“In the early days it was also reflective of how unhealthy we are as a society.”
He added with the hope that the population especially those with diseases will now take better care of themselves, getting regular health checks, eating healthy and exercising where possible.
Specifically for children
Although he could not give much details, Deylasingh said the Pfizer vaccine once received, will be used exclusively to vaccinate children who numbered approximately 400,000.
That will be the key factor in having them back out to school in September he said. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley had announced that the vaccine which is the only one that is World Health Organisation (WHO) approved for persons under the age of 18.
Deyalsingh said, “That is going to be reserved solely for our secondary school population.”
He said right now and the “foreseeable future” the WHO-approved Sinopharm vaccine was available and he encouraged the public to not wait for a particular brand of vaccine to get their shots.
“You may put yourself in danger,” he said.
The Government has already purchased one million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine, at a cost which cannot be disclosed due to non-disclosure agreements with China.
SWRHA appointments
Following a situation at the Powergen vaccination site in Penal, SWRHA’s chief executive officer Dr Brian Armour explained that vaccination was being done by appointments. However, persons will not be allowed to make appointments on the website if all spaces for a particular location was already filled.
He said about 40 persons showed up without appointments at that site and some were vaccinated however, some were told to return at a later date.
“The mass majority came with their legitimate appointment as per the Government policy,” Armour said.
On his tour of SAPA, Deyalsingh thanked the healthcare workers who continued to labour through the pandemic and he gave a pep talk to those who were being vaccinated to encourage others to step forward and take the shot.
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