The national isolation facilities have not reached capacity as yet even though there has been a dramatic increase in COVID-19 patients during the last six weeks.
Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, Ambassador Elizabeth Thompson, spokesperson for the COVID-19 Communications Unit, assured the country that the Government-operated isolation facilities were not full.
“Even though there are increased numbers of cases, we are not yet at capacity in the national isolation facilities,” she said, adding there was also the possibility “to step up or to put into quick operation other medical isolation facilities.”
She also reminded there was a new national policy which allowed for people who were asymptomatic to go to isolation hotels.
In addition, she said the many people contracting COVID-19 were not exhibiting symptoms “and that is part of the consideration that determines what kind of facility they would need to be managed [in]”.
Meanwhile, Dr Kenneth Connell, deputy dean of internationalisation and recruitment, Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies, urged people with non-communicable diseases to properly manage their symptoms and their health.
“If you have a non-communicable disease like high blood pressure or diabetes and you are not controlled, then your outcome is also going to be worse if you were to contract COVID-19,” he warned.
“It is vitally important that you take your prescribed medication; that you get in your exercise and that you make sure that you are aligned with your doctors’ or health care providers’ plan for managing that disease,” he advised.
He said the Seek and Save survey would give health officials the opportunity to identify individuals at higher risks and those exhibiting symptoms. (MB)
