The Opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has formed a COVID-19 committee to educate the public on preventative measures in light of the coronavirus contagion.
This information was revealed at a press conference held at the UWP Office in Roseau on Thursday.
The committee members include UWP leader Lennox Linton, Nicholas George, Anette Sanford, Clement Marcellin, Francisca Joseph and Danny Lugay.
Member of the UWP COVID-19 Committee, Francisca Joseph, who was addressing the press conference, said now is the time for Dominica to put its resiliency into action.
“Now, we have to put our resiliency into action and to ensure that we plan and we prepare and we prepare for any eventuality,” she said. “What happens to your community? What do you do now before it arrives? We do not wait for it to come and say, now it is here let us see what we can do.”
Joseph stressed the importance of prevention.
“Practice good personal habits, washing your hands as well as sanitization is very important,” she advised. “Practice everyday preventive measures; avoid close contact with people. Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care.”
Joseph also highlighted the importance of having a community plan and asked, “What is your plan? “Do you have a plan to deal with COVID-19 if it were to come to Dominica?” Are we prepared? Are we ready?”
Joseph advised against “burying our heads in the sand” and maintained that while we need to pray and put matters in God’s hands, we also have to be prepared.
She encouraged friends and relatives to discuss what they believe needs to be done.
“Meet with your household members, relatives; it doesn’t have to be a written plan, but something everybody knows what to do in the event,” Joseph explained.
She emphasized the importance of getting accurate information from a confirmed, reliable source and forging relationships which may not have existed before, among neighbours.
“Talk to your neighbours about emergency planning, what exactly you have in place,” she noted.
Other suggestions which Joseph put forward include creating an emergency contact list and a list of local organizations in one’s community and identifying ways of receiving information in that community rather than relying solely on health professionals.
“Always let people [friends and family] know where you are and what you are doing,” she noted.
She also advised parents to learn about the emergency operation plan at their child’s school and encouraged the public in general, to take care of their emotional health.
“The mere fact that you are waiting on something and you are not sure is stressful,” Joseph remarked. “It is stressful also because you have family overseas in the country that they live already have an outbreak of Coronavirus.”
Joseph is advising the public to stay as calm as possible and to grow what we eat.
“It is really a time to reflect and go back to what we knew before,” she stated.
Meantime, Head of the COVID-19 Committee, Dr. Sam Christian, said if there happens to be any confirmed cases of the virus in Dominica, “it’s going to be quite a disaster.”
“We have to do what it takes to protect our people,” he said.
Dr. Christian said the UWP has been in regular contact with the Chinese Embassy.
“We need to take this opportunity to commend the government and people of China for their outstanding fight against this virus,” he stated.
“We trust that here in Dominica we will benefit from your wisdom, your experience and resources to do the same.”
Paskie, we have been on numerous occasions through our villages and communities, conduct home visits, be live on the radio and with our people within their villages and communities. We know of our Dominica and how our people are suffering under this failed Skerrit and this corrupted Bobolistic fake Labour government.
We have had enough and after 20 failed, incompetent years we need this Skerrit dumb Labour government out of our Dominica business.
We need discipline in our government and in our nature island. We also need to transform our Domininca that every Dominican is elevated to a level of decency, independence and happiness. Under Skerrit after 20years he and his corrupted Labour Government has ruined our island, killed our banana other crops and agricultural industry. Our farmers are starving, earn nothing much since Skerrit change the focus upon himself and took control of the Passport scam that we not aware of where the sales of our passports has gone to? We need answers Now!
When will Dominica stop allowing cruise ship visits? Seems insanely reckless.
If we were to be advised as to,how this COVIC-19 came about ,we would have a better ways of avoiding this deadly diseases. Was it infected from out of NASA,?Was it an experiment that went wrong?,was live and dead animals mixed together,?or factory mixtures that did not agree. We have had some deadly cold and fever before,parents use to suck the cold from your nostrils and use herb tea as medicine. difficulties with breathing and lost of appetite. It was contagious
Great initiative, brilliant move, well thought of Hon Linton and UWP Team, Go for it, be that intelligent, committed Political Party serving as this credible Leader of the Opposition. To date a well done job and performance. We will continue listening ad following you activities, all in the interests of we the suffering people under this fake immature Skerrit and his highly dubious corrupted Labour government. After 19 yrs in government Skerrit has nothing to show for our Dominica’s development and the expected elevation of our people and families, but only offered favours to say “We love our PM”, as our desperate people, over 0ne hundred desperate, poor mothers que up at the Foyer (Entrance) of the Financials Centre (where its difficult for we staff to walk in to work).
Government in the making is well ahead in thoughts, decency, leadership, and matters of the child, families, poor people, our people, and not like abuse & failed Labour reduce the credibility of our people &…
@viewsexpressed, you should follow advice provided by WHO and PAHO by not only sanitising your hands to avoid coming into contact with the COVID-19 virus but in your case, sanitising your brain to get rid of all the ignorance that permeate your thinking. It might help save your life and many others you interact with in the long or short run.
UWP Team, Thanks much. Well said, well presented, well researched, well thought of. Thanks much. Our people need frequent reminders and what action they should take during this on going plague. We all need to take the advice of the UWP Team and in particular our Health people. Please listen follows the messages and updated news and information carried by Q95 Radio and DBS Radio
This is not the common cold, or flu, so please read carefully the messages sent to us from the United Workers Party and our Medical Team, who are representing our interests. Please advised, be careful, Bee clean, check the surfaces in house, wash you hands and that of the vulnerable children and elderly and handicapped well. Please be observed, Please be guided. God`s continued Blessings. Please look out for others, but you must be well taken care of too.
When will the dim-witted politicians learn to leave the COVID-19 pandemic to the health professionals to give advice and not use it as a political football. I will not take any advice from politicians unless they are repeating advice and information handed down by the real scientist. Linton should self isolated, there is already a body of health professionals giving us advice and information on how to deal with COVID-19. He is just going to cause more confusion.
COMMITEE for what?The government is being ADVISED by health professionals,PAHO,WHO,and others.Who are UWP advisers,Dr.Viewsexpressed,Dr Blessings,Dr. Matt?Paskie these guys are doing nothing more than talking BS.
Lin The Clown that you are and you`re having people laughing at you everyday with your comical clownish commentaries.
Lin, if you have nothing to contribute of common sense and at some level of decency then please be quiet or rather please read over the nonsense you pen before you send it off to DNO.
Oh by the way, thanks much for elevating me and other hard working Dominica’s to the level of “Doctor”. We applaud this loudly and not even the fake Pm that is credible to be “Ductored”. We need him out of our office and our government. He is this big failure.
One love for our Dominica and we need decency in our government. If Skerrit continues to see himself as this failure in our government, then he better get out and now too. We have to many credible Dominicans to take over the realm of development for our people. Too much roro in this failed Labour government and we need then out, from captain to failed ministers.
We will welcome the credible Linton and his good…
@Eagle-Eyed, that is a good observation. Why should those people just take it on their own to advise people on how to protect themselves–regardless of who they are?
After all, we have a health organization in Dominica; what would they be telling the people that would be more advanced than that of the Health Organization?
These UWP people know that they are lost; they are trying to find their path, but they will continue to be lost unless they find the right strategy, which is the problem in the first place. O my!
That so-called workers clowns nasty party could not and never will behave themselves in a right manner, now they trying to educated us in Covid-19 Virus what a joke this guy is having laugh my god what ever else? Please stop ⛔the world🌍 I want to get off.
My Dear people “Man Bite Dogs” woof, woof is having a good barking of Laughter and he can`t stop. We will move on while he continues to make a bark and a comic of himself.
Well so called “Man Bites Dogs”, keep up your doggish and hate style and we wish you luck with your “corrupted” failed party and appears that you will never behave yourself with the useless barking of yours. You are just disturbing the neighbourhood with your loud scandalous barking, woof, woof. Go Home and behave yourself. God is Good.
A reminder and advice to you. Please leave well alone and focus on your failed questionable corrupt Labour Government. This is sad and like what happens in other countries we will need a serious audit and on going investigation into our state fuds and audit expenditures. The island looks awful, stained, lacks credence and with a failed questionable Prime Minister and Labour government. This DLP has failed our people and country. DLP and Skerrit out.
We welcome Hon Linton &…
Great!! All hands on deck. Thank You
Great 👍🏾 things like that you guys should be doing instead. Serving the ppl of Dominica instead of running your mouth about a never ending corruption and electoral reform. No wonder y’all never won an election in 20 + years. Be active in the things that affect the people. Don’t always blame And be negative. Be positive and show the people the way. Be a leader for once in your political life. First great thing y’all done in almost 25 years. Congratulations