The wearing of face masks is being actively encouraged to to protect against and limit the spread of COVID-19, however, the public is being reminded that in order to be effective, masks should be worn properly .
“The wearing of the mask should be done properly. Do not wear the mask beneath the chin nor on the forehead, do not hang the mask from one ear and proceed to have a conversation with your listener,” Officer in Charge in the office of the Director of Primary Healthcare Services, Dr. Gilda Nesty-Tonge advised at a recent news conference.
She said that people should ensure that the mask adequately covers the nose and mouth at all times.
Dr. Nesty-Tonge said it has been observed lately that people have let down their guards and social gatherings are being organized. She cautioned against the holding such unnecessary gatherings which could lead to the spread of Covid-19.
“Use a mask if such gatherings are unavoidable,” Dr. Nesty-Tonge and appealed to patrons on packed buses during peak hours to ensure that they wear masks, “to protect yourself and others.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA), Benoit Bardouille, who also spoke at the press conference, made it clear that the wearing of face masks at all the ports of entry will be strictly enforced.
“Face masks, face coverings, will be required for all passengers, airport staff, airline staff and other approved persons at all times,” he insisted. “Passengers are required to wear face masks or face coverings at all times during the arrival process, up to and during departure at the airport.”
He continued, “Passengers must observe physical distancing at all times and they must practice good respiratory etiquette and personal sanitization.”
Bardouille warned that failure to adhere to these measures may lead to delays at transit ports and disappointment where passengers won’t be able to board an aircraft or vessel to travel to Dominica irrespective of the country from which they originate.
Accrding to the DASPA CEO, all persons seeking to access the ports of entry will be subjected to temperature screening.
“Passengers, travelers or persons seeking access to the ports of entry who do not meet the temperature screening requirements will be referred to the health hotline personnel or secondary screening personnel where possible,” Bardouille stated.
Officials have also been highlighting the importance of quarantine.
“While quarantine may be looked upon as an inconvenience to someone, it must be kept in mind, that the benefits of quarantine far outweigh the inconvenience,” Dr. Gilda Nesty-Tonge pinted out. “This has been proven in the result of the management of a few cases.”
She said the government quarantine facility in Portsmouth has been designated to do just that, “and we ask everyone who has to be quarantined to understand the reason behind the measure.”
One of the concerns of travelers, she said, is the wait time to be processed and transferred to the quarantine facility.
Dr. Nesty-Tonge apologized for this inconvenience pointing out that many times, the actual number of travelers arriving on island may exceed the expected number.
She said that this can occur for instance, if travelers upload their online questionnaire or their PCR results at the last minute.
“These travelers are then granted the ability to board, thus resulting in the increased number of actual arriving passengers and ultimate delay in processing and transfer to the government quarantine facility,” Dr. Nesty-Tonge explained.
I returned home to Dominica on Friday 11 September 2020. While taken to the Avies Ville Apartments at Picard Estate for mandatory quarantine, I observed that the vast majority of people on the roadsides and in communities from the airport to Picard Estate wore NO FACE MASKS. I was appalled by what I saw. Grant it there were few people who followed the COVID 19 protocol of wearing face masks but the vast majority wore NO FACE MASKS.
Additionally the communities through which the quarantine bus drove; Wesley, Calibishie and Portsmouth in particular people were assembled in certain areas clearly paying no attention to SOCIAL DISTANCING, a very frightening cause for concern.
Clearly the Public Health Education outreach on COVID 19 has not reached these people or they just have a don’t care attitude about their personal health, safety and well being, and that of the general public.
More to follow…
Mask don’t protect nothing. Wear a space suit if you fraid. Might as well leave the mask at home and get fresh air
Do you really need to be displaying your brainlessness in public like that? .. Think about it as if you were walking butt naked down Independence Street. It really should not need repeating 6 months into the pandemic … but clearly some people have been asleep all this time so….. The disease is spread by aerosol droplets from your mouth or nose primarily by people who DO NOT KNOW THEY HAVE IT YET. Possibly including you , by the way. Wearing a mask is not for YOUR PROTECTION. but for everyone who is unfortunate enough to come into contact with you. Your Parent , grand parents , uncles, aunts, your kids, brothers , sisters, co passengers, co workers fellow congregants … all these people you protect by you alone wearing a face covering…. how selfish would you have to be not to do that?
As i may have mentioned before ,while it is necessary to protect the country from what is referred to as imported cases this should be done differently .Everyone is required to get a test 3 days before departure fill out the questions on line .John does what is required gets to Dominica has a negative test . Harry does all of the above but has a positive result both men are placed on a bus to be taken to portsmouth at their own expense which is excessive .My question is why is this done to John since he will be quarantied and monitored at home after being released ? Why he was not allowed to go home since he is going to be kept under watch by the health department? Is this a cash grabbing scheme as there are no tourists ?
I believe the best thing is to make wearing of mask MANDETORY and enforce it
“She cautioned against the holding such unnecessary gatherings which could lead to the spread of Covid-19.”
What is unnecessary gathering Dr? Church? School? What about when Skerrit and Melissa ask children to come together to receive computers etc?
All you trying to sing the same song but everyone sings from a different songbook. I am not surprised because that’s what corruption does
All I see in dominica is bs this one saying that and they doing another he’ll with the sh country
Be specific because you have no clue of what you are saying. These generalization to let the country look bad will get you no where.
and all we asking is for is the truth!
why we always have to hear about another case on the the streets, before the authorities officially announce it?
our well being is at stake here!