At the Ministry of Health’s virtual Press Conference yesterday (Wednesday 29th April 2020), it was revealed that around 60 T&T Nationals returning from Suriname will be quarantined at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Campus in Penal/Debe. This was revealed by the Ministry of Health’s Principal Medical Officer – Institutions, Dr. Maryam Richards.

The group of Trinidadians, including oil and gas workers, had been trying for a while to get permission to return to Trinidad and were only recently granted an exemption by Minister of National Security Stuart Young to do so, as our borders have been closed since 23rd March 2020. They are scheduled to return from Suriname on Friday 1st May 2020. A B737-700 aircraft with a capacity of 80 passengers is being chartered. Flight PY729 is scheduled to leave Paramaribo, Suriname at 10am on Friday and arrive at Piarco half an hour later. Minister Young stated recently that the exact number of persons returning to Trinidad from Suriname was still being finalized.

According to Dr. Richards, the UWI Campus in Penal/Debe can house up to 72 people in individual rooms. She visited the facility on Tuesday and discovered that “all was in place to ensure that the Trinidadians that are returning will be comfortable and would receive the appropriate levels of care.”

She noted that the Ministry of Health has already made arrangements to have the group swabbed when they return home. A ‘swab team’ has already been set up by the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA). It is unclear whether the group will be tested in Suriname before their departure. Reports indicate the group have been in self-quarantine for over a month because of the lockdown in Suriname. Upon arrival in Trinidad, they will undergo the mandatory fourteen (14) day quarantine.

According to the SWRHA, the UWI Penal/Debe Campus is a new facility, ideally located and represents one step closer to home for patients.

The management and co-ordination of the facility will be done by the SWRHA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other key stakeholders, such as the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF). See some photos of the facility below from the SWRHA.

Last week, a group of 33 T&T Nationals returned from Barbados and are being kept in quarantine at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua.

- COVID-19 Update for T&T:

• Tests done to date: 1,683
• Unique patient tests: 1,376
• Repeated tests: 307
• Positive Cases recorded: 116
• Discharged persons: 72
• Deaths: 8

- The following is the update on persons across the various COVID-19 facilities:

• Caura Hospital: No patients.
• Couva Hospital: 6 patients (Ambulatory, mild, asymptomatic).
• Sangre Grande Step-Down Facility: 8 patients (Asymptomatic, low risk, stable).
• Home of Football: 32 patients (Asymptomatic, low risk, stable).
• Tacarigua Convalescent Centre: 33 (Barbados group in their second week of quarantine).
• NAPA: 4 healthcare workers in quarantine for 2 weeks.

- Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, gave an update on Surveillance Testing in T&T, stating that as of yesterday afternoon, 212 tests were conducted, all of which returned with a negative result.

- Responding to a question posed regarding the business community’s optimism in the country’s readiness to rescind lockdown measures, Minister Deyalsingh said that Government continues to be guided by the advice of the medical experts and the decision to lift restrictions lies with the Prime Minister.

- Minister Deyalsingh also provided a figure for the cost of outfitting the National Racquet Centre as a quarantine facility, which was approximately TT $1 - 1.5 Million.

- Professor of Molecular Genetics and Virology, Dr. Christine Carrington gave an in-depth description of the COVID-19 virus. Dr. Carrington explained that patients are not “re-infected” by the virus, in fact, small fragments of the virus remain in their systems which could lead to a positive test result later on. The doctor highlighted that persons that fall in this category do not have enough virus in their systems to be infectious.

- Dr. Carrington appealed to elderly citizens to get vaccinated against the flu, as it would protect them from battling 2 viruses if they were unfortunate enough to contract COVID-19.

- Dr. Carrington also explained that viruses are infectious agents which have to get inside a cell, then replicate, where bacteria can multiply and divide outside of cells. She went on to say that this fundamental difference is why anti-viral drugs are much less common than antibiotics, as researchers have to find a way to locate and target viruses without damaging the host’s cells.

- Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at U.W.I, Professor Terrence Seemungal, discussed a World Health Organization (WHO) study called “Solidarity,” that will look at therapy options for the COVID-19 virus. T&T is one of the countries included in this study that will ask patients to voluntarily allow themselves to be treated by a randomly selected drug, chosen to combat COVID-19.

- When asked about final year students at U.W.I Mona joining the fight against COVID-19, Professor Seemungal stated that the Mona students are NOT on the frontline, but assisting in Contact Tracing phone calls. He added that at this point in time, medical students in T&T do not need to get involved, as the Ministry of Health has the situation under control.

Watch the Press Conference below in its entirety.

The Ministry of Health will be hosting a virtual Press Conference at 10am this morning (Thursday 30th April 2020). As of this morning, Trinidad and Tobago still has a total of 116 positive cases of COVID-19. So far there have been eight (8) deaths and a total of 72 persons have been discharged. The Ministry of Health will begin ramping up COVID-19 testing throughout T&T from this week in order to get a better idea about the presence and potential spread of the virus.

Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, recently signed the updated Public Health Regulations (No. 12) and it is now in effect until 15th May 2020.

If you missed yesterday’s Press Conference, you can catch up on the key points that were discussed.

On Saturday (25th April 2020), Prime Minister Keith Rowley held an important Press Conference where he revealed several new plans for the country going forward. If you missed it, you can catch up on the key points that were discussed.
​
​The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has tested a total of 1,683 samples to date.

Watch the Press Conference below in its entirety.

This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.

The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service noted on Wednesday afternoon (29th April 2020) that they are currently keeping an eye on an area of cloudiness and rainfall, associated with low-level convergence. This area is expected to drift toward the Northwest and produce periods of showers over Trinidad and Tobago, between this Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd May 2020.

​The Met Office further noted that showers may be heavy at times, and isolated street flooding events can occur. Wind speeds will also be increasing, so wind gusts are likely.

- COVID-19 Update for T&T:

• Tests done to date: 1,642
• Unique patient tests: 1,335
• Repeated tests: 307
• Positive Cases recorded: 116
• Discharged persons: 68 (9 new discharges)
• Deaths: 8

- The following is the update on COVID-19 patients across the various facilities:

• Caura Hospital: No patients.
• Couva Hospital: 9 patients (Ambulatory, mild, asymptomatic).
• Sangre Grande Step-Down Facility: 8 patients (Asymptomatic, low risk, stable).
• Home of Football: 32 patients (Asymptomatic, low risk, stable).
• Tacarigua Convalescent Centre: 33 (Barbados group in their second week of quarantine).

- Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, said he was glad that the University of Oxford released a ranking of countries best positioned to ease lockdown measures and that T&T’s 2nd place position is testament to Government’s work.

- Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram, gave an update on the community testing initiative and indicated that 182 tests have been conducted thus far, all of which returned negative for COVID-19.

- The CMO also discussed the “New Normal” for society after lockdown restrictions are rescinded, which include proper hand hygiene, social distancing, cough etiquette, use of masks, sanitizing surfaces and if you or your child are unwell, stay at home.

- Dr. Parasram indicated that site visits are set to take place this week for private labs which applied for COVID-19 testing certification.

- The CMO sought to clear up misunderstandings about posthumous testing and stated that no autopsies are being done on people who died from COVID-19. Autopsies continue on people who died from unknown causes.

- Principal Medical Officer, Institutions at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Maryam Richards, gave a rundown of the various facilities chosen to house COVID-19 patients:

• Severe/critical patients to be warded at Couva and Augustus Long Facilities.
• Patients requiring intermediate care will be sent to the Caura, Scarborough and Arima Facilities.
• The designated Step-Down Facilities are the Brooklyn Settlement Facility in Sangre Grande and the Home of Football in Couva.
• Returning T&T Nationals will be sent to either the UWI Penal/Debe Facility or the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua.

- Dr. Richards also indicated that the T&T Nationals returning from Suriname are set to be quarantined at the UWI Penal/Debe facility and that a team is prepared and ready to conduct testing upon their return.

Watch the Press Conference below in its entirety.

The Ministry of Health will be hosting a virtual Press Conference at 10am this morning (Wednesday 29th April 2020). As of this morning, Trinidad and Tobago still has a total of 116 positive cases of COVID-19. So far there have been eight (8) deaths and a total of 59 persons have been discharged. The Ministry of Health will begin ramping up COVID-19 testing throughout T&T from this week in order to get a better idea about the presence and potential spread of the virus.

Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, recently signed the updated Public Health Regulations (No. 12) and it is now in effect until 15th May 2020.

If you missed yesterday’s Press Conference, you can catch up on the key points that were discussed.

On Saturday (25th April 2020), Prime Minister Keith Rowley held an important Press Conference where he revealed several new plans for the country going forward. If you missed it, you can catch up on the key points that were discussed.
​
​The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has tested a total of 1,642 samples to date.

Watch the Press Conference below in its entirety.

This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.

At around 1pm on Tuesday 28th April 2020, Karen Alexis (58) lost her life when the vehicle she was a passenger in crashed into a light pole along the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, just after the Golconda exit. Karen lived at Coconut Drive, Fanny Village in Point Fortin.

The grey Nissan Sylphy was being driven by her son Khadeem Alexis (30) when he apparently lost control of the vehicle. The impact caused the vehicle to flip over and it came to a halt on the Highway’s median. While Fire Officers on the scene tried using the ‘Jaws of Life’ to remove Karen, who was pinned under the dashboard, they were unable to do so in time and she was pronounced dead shortly after.

Khadeem, a member of the Coast Guard, is in stable condition at the San Fernando General Hospital. Eyewitnesses told Guardian Media that they believe Karen was briefly alive following the collision as they heard her groaning inside the car.

St. Madeleine Police are continuing investigations.

UPDATE (29/04/20): The Ministry shared the following photos after the opening ceremony:

The Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) will formally open part of the Curepe Interchange with a ceremony on Wednesday 29th April 2020 at 10am. According to the Ministry, the partial opening will be followed by the decommissioning of all traffic signs in the vicinity of the relocated Churchill Roosevelt Highway and Southern Main Road intersection.

Minister Rohan Sinanan is expected to attend the opening ceremony.

Below are the directional flows of traffic from South to East, West to South and West to West.

Motorists are advised that there will be no change in traffic flow in the following areas:

- The following is the update on COVID-19 patients across the various facilities:

• Caura Hospital: No patients.
• Couva Hospital: 9 patients (Ambulatory, mild, asymptomatic).
• Sangre Grande Step-Down Facility: 8 patients (Asymptomatic, low risk, stable).
• Home of Football: 32 patients (Asymptomatic, low risk, stable).
• Tacarigua Convalescent Centre: 33 (Barbados group almost completed a first week of quarantine).

​- Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, indicated that four (4) health care workers are currently residing at the NAPA facility with twelve (12) more persons to be added to the number shortly. These persons would have worked on and around COVID-19 patients but have NOT tested positive for the virus. They are being quarantined at the facility for two (2) weeks to ensure the safety of their families.

- According to Minister Deyalsingh, at the start of the COVID-19 restrictions, only Elective Surgeries were postponed, whereas Emergency Surgeries continued as normal. However, the Minister said that after discussions, Elective Surgeries are set to begin again soon.

- Minister Deyalsingh stated that four (4) ventilators are expected to be transported to Tobago from Trinidad later this week.

- The Minister also indicated that he's been assured by the Minister of Finance that once requests for funding for the parallel healthcare system are made, it will be granted. Minister Deyalsingh stated that he sees no money troubles for the parallel system at this point in time.

-Principal Medical Officer of Epidemiology, Dr. Naresh Nandram said that only certain tests have been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and recognized by the Health Ministry. Of these, the “Gold Standard” diagnostic testing is what T&T has been using as opposed to the unreliable serological tests, however diagnostic testing requires highly trained staff, specialized laboratories and takes several hours to complete.

- Dr. Nandram also indicated that the UWI testing site is currently in the final stage of verification and will be up and running soon.

- Consultant/Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr. Mark West said that COVID-19 is a multi-faceted virus that affects several systems other than the respiratory system. In fact, several patients of all ages have presented with strokes and blood clots due to the virus. Dr. West also stated that due to the newness of the virus, there is no way of knowing yet, if COVID-19 has any long term effects on the body.

Watch the Press Conference below in its entirety.

The Ministry of Health will be hosting a virtual Press Conference at 10am this morning (Tuesday 28th April 2020). As of this morning, Trinidad and Tobago still has a total of 116 positive cases of COVID-19. So far there have been eight (8) deaths and a total of 59 persons have been discharged. The Ministry of Health will begin ramping up COVID-19 testing throughout T&T from this week in order to get a better idea about the presence and potential spread of the virus.

Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, recently signed the updated Public Health Regulations (No. 12) and it is now in effect until 15th May 2020.

If you missed yesterday’s Press Conference, you can catch up on the key points that were discussed.

On Saturday (25th April 2020), Prime Minister Keith Rowley held an important Press Conference where he revealed several new plans for the country going forward. If you missed it, you can catch up on the key points that were discussed.
​
​The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has tested a total of 1,572 samples to date.

Watch the Press Conference below in its entirety.

This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates.