The Ministry of Health is reminding the public that Pfizer Comirnaty COVID-19 vaccine is available at Health Centres. The Ministry said it received 5,760 doses of the vaccine on 6th July 2023 through a donation from the Government of Greece, facilitated through the COVAX facility.
The public is advised that this vaccine is suitable for individuals eighteen (18) years and over as primary and booster doses, and as a booster dose for children (anyone under 18) only. In a Media Release on Saturday (19th August 2023), the Ministry notes that while COVID-19 is no longer considered a global health emergency, it is encouraging the public, particularly the vulnerable and those who have not yet been vaccinated or boosted, to visit the nearest Health Facility to access the vaccine. The Ministry wishes to further advise of the availability of the following COVID-19 vaccines and their usage: Pfizer
Pfizer
Sinopharm
Johnson & Johnson (J&J)
Further details on COVID-19 vaccination sites and booster eligibility can be obtained by visiting the Ministry's website at www.health.gov.tt.
Formerly a COVID-19 variant under monitoring, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now upgraded EG.5 (unofficially nicknamed ‘Eris’) to a variant of interest — meaning it believes it could pose an “increased risk to global public health.” The WHO said today (Wednesday 9th August 2023) that there has been a “steady increase in this variant’s prevalence.” As of Monday (7th August 2023), over 7,000 sequences have been shared from fifty-one (51) countries.
Based on the available evidence, the public health risk posed by EG.5 is evaluated as low at the global level, similar to the risk of other current COVID-19 variants of interest. The WHO warns, however, that based on its characteristics, EG.5 may spread globally and cause a surge in cases. “Based on its genetic features, immune escape characteristics, and growth rate estimates, EG.5 may spread globally and contribute to a surge in case incidence,” WHO’s EG.5 Initial Risk Evaluation report states. “Several countries with rising EG.5 prevalence have seen increases in cases and hospitalizations, although at present there is no evidence of an increase in disease severity directly associated with EG.5.” In the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 hospitalizations in the United States rose 12.5% between 23rd and 29th July 2023. Overall, they have been increasing since 1st July 2023, with EG.5’s prevalence having increased 9.8% since then. This Summer uptick in cases coincides with (but may not be caused by) the new dominant strain of the virus taking hold in the U.S — EG.5. The CDC estimates EG.5 is causing 17.3% of current COVID-19 cases in the country, and it is on the rise. From the latest available statistics, COVID-19 appears to be making a comeback. The EG.5 variant descended from the Omicron variant, which caused an explosive outbreak in late 2021 and early 2022. Infectious disease experts say the new variant is worth paying attention to, but are cautious in saying how concerned we should be. According to Rebecca Wurtz, an Infectious Disease Physician and a Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. “Although the EG.5 variant apparently has a slight competitive advantage [over other strains] — and we’ve seen the number of cases go up slightly and the number of hospitalizations go up slightly — I don’t think there’s any reason to expect a massive wave like we saw with Omicron.” The symptoms of EG.5 does not appear to differ much from other Omicron sub-variants. Infected individuals report cough, fever, chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, loss of taste or smell, and headaches, among other symptoms. The WHO reports that EG.5 is not resulting in more cases or deaths than its predecessor, the XBB strain of Omicron, but it is possibly more contagious than other strains.
“The fact that [EG.5] is emerging quickly suggests that it does have some slight competitive advantage,” said Wurtz. This advantage is likely that it is slightly more contagious or more capable of evading existing immunity, but, she added, more data is needed to confirm. Scientists do have genetic sequence data on EG.5 and have zeroed in on some of the mutations that set it apart from past variants, but they do not know “exactly why this mutation confers an advantage,” Wurtz said.
The good news, according to Maureen Miller, an Epidemiologist with the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, is that this strain likely would not cause as big of a wave as past variants. This is because there is more widespread immunity to SARS-CoV-2, either from vaccines or natural infection. But still, not everyone is equally protected, depending on when they were last vaccinated or exposed. “The bad news is that these protections wane,” she added. While EG.5 does not appear to make people more ill, the reason for its prominence remains a mystery. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. [Source: Vox] The Ministry of Health is advising the public that the Public Health Regulations [2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019 nCoV)] (No 2) 2023, will end at Midnight on 31st July 2023. As such, the Ministry said wearing of masks at all Public and Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics will no longer be mandatory.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the end of the global Pandemic on 5th May 2023, declaring it an established and ongoing health issue, which no longer constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The Ministry said it takes this opportunity to remind the public, particularly the vulnerable, “to continue to maintain the principles and practice of good hygiene, such as hand washing and social distancing when ill.” For more information, please visit the Ministry's website at www.health.gov.tt or any of its social media pages. In a Media Release today (Friday 14th July 2023), the Ministry of Health is advising members of the public that the Pfizer Comirnaty COVID-19 Vaccine is available at Health Centres. A full listing of vaccination sites can be found on the Ministry's website.
The Ministry said it received 5,760 doses of the vaccine on 6th July 2023 through a donation from the Government of Greece, facilitated through the COVAX facility. The public is advised that this vaccine is suitable for individuals twelve (12) years and older and will only be administered as a booster dose. The Ministry wishes to further advise of the availability of the following COVID-19 vaccines and their usage: Pfizer
Pfizer
Sinopharm
Johnson & Johnson (J&J)
Further details on COVID-19 vaccination sites and booster eligibility can be obtained by visiting the Ministry's website at www.health.gov.tt. Trinidad and Tobago will support the World Health Organization’s new international accord on Pandemic preparedness and response. Prime Minister Keith Rowley made the statement during a joint Press Conference held with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at the Diplomatic Centre in St. Ann’s today (Thursday 15th June 2023).
The Pandemic Accord is a pact between member nations to work together for a shared response to shared threats. While still in the negotiation phase, it is set for completion by 2024. The agreement aims to strengthen Pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Prime Minister Rowley said, “What the Pandemic experience has demonstrated is that we need equivalent commitment to govern behaviour in circumstances like that. That is to be anchored in the issue of moral responsibility and equity and respect for human life in general.” He said, “small developing countries like Trinidad and Tobago, we need to ensure that while we are small in size and income levels, we are not insignificant in the defence of the human condition.” The WHO Director-General clarified that the negotiations of the new international accord on Pandemic preparedness and response will be negotiated for countries by countries, and will be implemented under each country’s laws. He said the WHO will not have the power to impose lockdowns on countries and “WHO will not gain any power to override domestic policy decisions nor would we want to.” Prime Minister Rowley thanked the WHO/PAHO for defending small island nations during the COVID-19 Pandemic. He said, “You had the onerous responsibility of guiding the world through this horrible experience. You distinguished yourself by your insistence that small countries like ours should be noticed, taken care of, and listened to. We in Trinidad and Tobago want to acknowledge the role played in assisting the Government in providing the people with the effective response with this dangerous Pandemic.” Dr. Tedros acknowledged Prime Minister Rowley for his leadership during the Pandemic domestically, regionally, and globally. He said, “The tough decisions he took helped prevent infections and saved lives.” The WHO Director-General said he appreciated the Prime Minister’s advocacy for vaccine equity on behalf of CARICOM and other small States.” Dr. Tedros said while WHO declared the global emergency response to COVID-19 to be over, nations must continue to do their part to make the changes needed to keep countries safer. Dr. Tedros congratulated Trinidad and Tobago for playing a leading role in the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) for more than fifteen (15) years. The Ministry of Health have now ceased providing regular COVID-19 updates to the public after three (3) years, two (2) months, and nine (9) days since the first update was issued on 4th March 2020. The Ministry said today (Friday 12th May 2023) as a result of a low level of circulation in Trinidad and Tobago with low numbers of cases, deaths, hospitalizations, and positivity, the COVID-19 updates in their current format would no longer be issued.
The 7-day rolling average of COVID-19 cases, which is the number of new COVID-19 cases recorded daily during the 7-day-period between 29th April through 12th May 2023, is ten (10). That figure is down from two (2) weeks ago, when the Ministry recorded thirteen (13) cases per day on average. It is the lowest rolling average in over two (2) years, when it was ten (10) on 22nd March 2021. Within the last two (2) weeks, the Ministry said there has only been one COVID-19-related death. The positivity rate is 6.7%, which means for every patient tested at public and private healthcare facilities, 6.7 out of every 100 people were positive. The Ministry notes there are currently no patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or the High Dependency Unit (HDU) for the second fortnightly period in a row, with an average of nineteen (19) patients in Hospitals across the parallel and hybrid healthcare systems. Over the course of 1,250 COVID-19 Media Releases from the Ministry of Health, T&T has recorded over 191,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 4,391 COVID-19 deaths. [Source: T&T Guardian] Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced at a Press Conference this afternoon (Tuesday 9th May 2023) that Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh and Attorney General, Reginald Armour, will meet later this week to discuss removing COVID-19 restrictions, which were previously set to remain in place until July 2023. Mask-wearing will most likely remain as a restriction within the health system.
The Prime Minister said more will be revealed by the weekend. Watch the live stream of the ongoing Press Conference here. Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared COVID-19 “over as a global health emergency” at a Press Conference on 5th May 2023. This is a developing story - refresh this page for updates. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has concluded the 2023 Article IV consultation with Trinidad and Tobago, praising the country's progress in recovering from the COVID-19 Pandemic and achieving fiscal discipline. The Executive Board of the IMF endorsed the staff appraisal following consultations in Port-of-Spain with the Ministry of Finance, the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), as well as several other Government agencies, financial institutions and private organizations.
In a Media Release this afternoon (Friday 5th May 2023), the Ministry of Finance said the IMF, that praised the “decisive policy response of the authorities” during the Pandemic, highlights that “Trinidad and Tobago's economic activity is recovering, supported by higher global energy prices and the rebound of the non-energy sector.” The Ministry sad the report also noted that public debt has declined and the external position has improved. Looking ahead, the Ministry said economic recovery is expected to “gain broad-based momentum in 2023” and the IMF expects “inflation to slow to 4.5 percent by end-2023 and to continue declining with international prices.” The IMF further commended Trinidad and Tobago's fiscal discipline, stating that: “The authorities' commitment to balancing the budget over the medium term is prudent and welcome” and emphasized that “capital expenditure will support the economic recovery.” The Ministry added that the IMF “recommended to continue prudently managing the energy revenue windfall, avoiding procyclical spending, and rebuilding fiscal buffers, while providing targeted support to the most vulnerable.” The report also suggests that the country should take steps to promote economic diversification. “We welcome the IMF's policy recommendation, which aligns with our efforts to encourage private investment and promote innovation,” explained The Honourable Colm Imbert, Minister of Finance. The IMF pointed out several strengths of Trinidad and Tobago, most notable being: “international reserve coverage is expected to remain adequate at around 7.2 months of prospective total imports and is complemented by large public external buffers in the Heritage and Stabilization Fund of about 18.4 percent of GDP;” and “the financial sector appears well-capitalized.” “Today, our country is one of the few in the world to record both a primary budget surplus in 2022 and a current account surplus,” concluded Minister Imbert. The Ministry ended its Media Release by saying, “In those trying international times, Trinidad and Tobago appears as a safe harbor for investors.” The Ministry of Health said it notes the declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO), which signals the end of the COVID-19 global Pandemic. In a Media Release today (Friday 5th May 2023), the Ministry said, “At the fifteenth meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee, held on 4th May 2023, regarding the COVID-19 disease, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, concurred with the advice of the Committee and therefore determined that COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue, which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry notes that COVID-19 continues to circulate at a very low level. “The transmission continues to be classified as ‘community’ in nature. Morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 has been on a downward trend, in keeping with the global epidemiology picture over the last few months. As such, the Ministry of Health takes the opportunity to remind the public, particularly the vulnerable amongst us (those with chronic diseases, pregnant patients and the unvaccinated) to continue to maintain the principles and practice of good hygiene, such as hand washing, social distancing and wearing of masks where appropriate. The Ministry also encourages the unvaccinated to get vaccinated and those who are vaccinated to get boosted.” The Ministry is reminding the public that current vaccine stock expires in June 2023. “As such, every effort should be made to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The public is reminded that vaccines are available at all health centres throughout Trinidad and Tobago. These measures will certainly assist in the maintenance of our low levels of transmission of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases,” the Ministry said.
Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, declared COVID-19 “over as a global health emergency” at a Press Conference today (Friday 5th May 2023). According to Dr. Ghebreyesus, “Yesterday, the Emergency Committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice. It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency.”
However, he cautioned, “that does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat. Last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every three minutes — and that’s just the deaths we know about. As we speak, thousands of people around the world are fighting for their lives in intensive care units. And millions more continue to live with the debilitating effects of post-COVID-19 condition.”
Below are the full remarks by Dr. Ghebreyesus at today’s COVID-19 Press Conference:
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