The current spike in COVID-19 cases in Dominica notwithstanding, Health Minister, Dr. Irving McIntyre, believes there is no need to shutdown the country’s borders or close all schools on the island at this time.
Speaking as a guest on Prime Minister Roosevelt’s Skerrit’s Anou Palay Programme on Sunday night, Dr. McIntyre reported that Dominica currently has 22 active cases of COVID-19 out of a total number of 57 confirmed cases. The number of deaths remains at zero a total of 35 contacts have recovered. There are 144 contacts under investigation and 44 persons are in quarantine. In total 4765 PCR tests have been done and the number of negatives is 4708.
“Honestly, I really don’t think there is enough evidence to support closing our borders now or even support shutting down and going down into lockdown and curfew,” the Health minister said. “Just over the past few days, we have seen how responsible some of the public has been.”
He continued, “And when we look at a lot of entertainers postponing their events, some of them canceling their events, when we look at the bars and restaurants shutting down, if you notice now people are a little more indoors, they are getting back to their little gardening and staying at home”
Dr. McIntyre believes it is noticeable that the public is coming on board with the Ministry of Health for the past few days, “so to say we need to shut down, curfew, lockdown I am not convinced that it is necessary now.”
“We do not have the evidence for that so to speak,” he contended, adding that there is no evidence of community spread.
The minister said that based on results that he received on Sunday morning, 35 contacts from the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (ITSS), where one positive case was confirmed last week, tested negative.
“Some of my teachers, they are negative,” he stated. “Other contacts from my Mahaut case, they are negative…I cannot just jump head and just shutdown everything.”
Dr. McIntyre said he was waiting for some more results from the lab, “and when results come in, we analyze it quickly and then we make certain decisions.”
Three schools on the west coast of Dominica – the Isaiah Thomas Secondary School (ITSS), the Mahaut Primary School and the Massacre/Canefield Primary School – have all suspended operations until November 9th, 2020, amidst the rise in COVID-19 cases in Dominica.
Health Minister McIntyre is of the view that the issue of illegal entry does have a significant role to play with regard to the increased number of cases of COVID -19 on the island.
“For one, the illegal entry persons, they don’t know their status, their relatives and friends do not know their status and we do not know their status,” Dr. McIntyre noted.
When there was 7 cases, there was no schools, the country went under lock down with curfew.. Schools were only reopened in September when the country was at 0 cases. I don’t understand now that we have 22 active cases, which is three times the number. We are told that there is no need to shut down borders or school. If there is no community tracing am I to conclude that all the 22 active cases are persons who were abroad and just came in to Dominica???
Finally someone is speaking some sense. Why is everyone going so crazy over this virus when every year there is a virus sprayed on us from planes so that the vaccine makers can try to make some money? The answer is that it is the continuous prelude to the mandatory corona virus vaccine from which they plan to make a lot of money and get rid of a lot of people. The people testing positive very likely took the flu vaccine, which contained corona virus in it. Read the inserts on the vaccines. They list the ingredients. Most doctors don’t even read the inserts. Vaccines have never been safe or effective. They are exempt from testing. And if you get sick or die from one, the pharmaceutical companies are immune from prosecution for any harm they have done to people.
I always have.problems with allu eh way my comment I sent
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I said No need to close our boarders, or curfew because skerrit checking he cannot compensate anyone de country broke so doh come.with your rubbish about people complying with protocols.
What about our children that all I want to know they will never leave the mask on the face they touching anything with their hands going on bus to going to school
No need to close our boarders, or put curfew or lockdown because, skerrit said he cannot give people stimulus package when he does such…you doh hear de money finish…so doh come and talk your rubbish about there is no need..stupes tan just tell us de truth we already know he cannot and will not we not sort. If he lockdown my store will not get sale and he cannot compensate me so stop your rubbish talk…this is the reason why he cannot shut down.
You do not the status of the persons coming in BACKDOOR???
WELL FIND OUT
AND DOCTOR PLEASE GO VISIT THE QUARANTINE CENTRE ITS PART OF YOUR JOB
@My name, you seem to know more about the Dr. Work than he does why don’t you apply for the job!!!
That’s another SEVEN cases since the last briefing! Update please
Cases mean nothing when you test kits that have not been validated and evaluated for false positive and false negative results. The vast majority of people testing positive don’t necessarily have illness. Antibodies only mean that your body was exposed to something. It doesn’t mean that you have the disease or that you are necessarily protected from the disease.
PCR testing doesn’t test for antibodies. They test for the presence of covid DNA.
No need to close our boarders, because Skerrit and Shekira told the people otherwise.
You Dr Mcintyre is now showing the people who you really were. Shame on you!
You still owe Mrs Sanford an apology, since you did not know what was happening in your own ministry!!!
To be a labourite, seem like you have to throw all ethics, character and probity out of the window.!
Skerrit wants as many people as possible to fall with him!!! Seem like many have already been trapped because of their greediness.
Nobody is going to fall with PM Skerrit if he should fall at all. But I see no sign that he will fall, for those who walk with the Almighty God, through Christ Jesus, may stumble but they never fall–that is who Prime Minister Rosevelt Skerrit is.
The falling is for the negative, sulky, and dark thinking minds like you; those traits are all of the swords of Satan who comes to steal, kill, and destroy–you are foolishly and ignorantly accepting them.
You and yours are the ones who are supposed to guard yourselves, not PM Skerrit–there will be no falling for him.
Who let the Dog out? Woof Woof Woof!
People being responsible and entertainers postponing events and closing bars? Mr fou?
The heavy rains of the past couple weeks had nothin to do wit people staying inside? These guys are just playing wit people, and only fools will believe them.
This is why we should never at no time promote illegal entry, illegal immigration and back door as a Dominica culture! The Prime Minister once encouraged it during the last elections while saying it is a Dominica culture and tradition. That was very foolish, irresponsible and asinine of the Prime Minister. Which is why, today the Health Minister has to be stating that, “For one, the illegal entry persons, they don’t know their status, their relatives and friends do not know their status and we do not know their status,” Dr. McIntyre noted. In life, we reap what we sow!
I understand the government desperate not to introduce harsh measures like the U.K. and most other European countries to create an impression that Dominica is safe to visit. The. Coronavirus has its rules own rules I’m afraid. It is clear that the island can not secure its own borders, there is no effective crowd control or adequate sanitation of public transport. The director of health had to restrict access to hospital clinics because of shortage of staff and the Minister had to cancel leave and appeal to nurses to return to duty and I’m sorry but how can we even trust death certificate under a regime like ours.
I hope we can save the day, and lives because an appeal for outside help is likely to go unheeded in this case with most other countries, even our close neighbours, needing their medical staff for their own people first. Begging for money is far easier and Covid cannot be bribed.
For the good of the county, let’s hope that the relevant authorities are able to stem the spread. The public has a critical role in mitigating the explosion of the Coronavirus..
Having said that, I have very little expectation in the confidence of this autocracy to achieve any positive outcomes judging from their abysmal record.
*Airport fund- depleted
*Agriculture -devastated
*Public library-dilapidated
*ROSS University-departed
*CBI funds-diminished
I could continue ad nauseam. The level of incompetence displayed by the Skerrit led DLP is unbelievably astonishing.