COVID-19: Skerrit suspends classes; asks elderly and medically vulnerable to stay home

Prime Minister Skerrit delivering an address to the nation last night

In the wake of the announcement of Dominica’s first positive case of the COVID-19 disease, Prime Minister Skerrit has advised Dominicans to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. He also announced measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus and protecting the most vulnerable.

Health Minister, Dr. Irving McIntyre, revealed on Sunday that the infected individual was a 54-year-old Dominican citizen who recently returned to Dominica from the United Kingdom. He said the person, who had been under home quarantine since his arrival, is being treated in a special isolation unit.

Prime Minister Skerrit said in an address to the nation on Sunday night that the greater risk of the COVID-19 virus is for the country’s senior citizens and for those citizens who have a chronic, underlying condition.

” I am asking all persons over the age of 70 years old or any person who has an underlying that is not being managed properly to stay at home and minimize contact with the general public,” Skerrit stated. “I’m asking them and others to follow all of the warnings that the doctors have shared with us. For example, one, wash your hands properly or use hand sanitizer and do not place your hands on your face. Two, if you must sneeze or cough, sneeze into a tissue and immediately dispose of the tissue in a covered bin and wash your hands; cough into your elbow to avoid harming anyone.”

He said his government is adopting a four-stage approach to the management of the corona pandemic.

“With the revelation of the first imported case, we have moved from level one to level two. Against that background, I am making a decision to suspend all classes of school from tomorrow (Monday March 23, 2020),” the prime minister announced. “We shall be intensifying screening at our borders and I anticipate that in a day or two, we shall be announcing new measures and regulations with respect to opening of our ports of entry……as of tomorrow, we shall beef up security and screening at our ports of entry and by midweek I shall have more two say on the issue of mandatory quarantine of persons entering our island.”

Below is a video of Prime Minister Skerrit’s address to the nation on Sunday night.

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24 Comments

  1. Man bites dogs
    March 25, 2020

    You so-called Workers followers and party are all a bunch of arrogant cowards big mouths and no savvy it didn’t matter what the Pm had done lockup-shut up call it what you like Covid-19 Virus would of still have entered Dominica the virus is in the air waiting to attack our nerves system it’s up to us to guard against it, Dominica is not full proof as some of you people think. Another thing when Hector John left and went to America recently not one of you so-called highly critical workers followers said a word about it two face hypocrites people now you lots want to crucify the Prime minister for what? Go clean your homes and yourselves instead of writing and talking crap all long!!

  2. Dean Attidore
    March 24, 2020

    Why is he talking about intensifying the screening at the airport? this is a pandemic that has hit over 400000 people so shouldn’t it have already been intensified? He knew full well that there are thousands of cases in Europe and Europeans travel to the Caribbean. Yes I know the person was Dominican, but the person came from Europe. How can he also talk about mandatory quarantine that he’s looking to enforce, but he couldn’t enforce mandatory closure of the border. I’m in the UK and I have weeks of advance understanding of what happens and as a leader of a nation he ought to have too or at the very least his advisors would have. Prime minister in the UK had a relaxed attitude and as such this has spread all over the UK and now it has spread into Dominica – from the UK. This was completely avoidable.

  3. Dean Attidore
    March 24, 2020

    How can he talk about being responsible? Responsible would have meant keeping the borders closed. He knew full well that there’s only one way of getting the virus in to Dominica and that was via a travelling tourist.

    Well done.

  4. out of south city
    March 24, 2020

    Mr. Skerrit, stop playing with people’s lives. The ports/borders should have been closed ever since the first announcement of this virus. Instead, you continued to let people travel in and out of the country until this man entered with the virus. Stop playing Macho and Invincible. Stop speaking for the Ministers and allow them to do their jobs. Now that the treasury has no money and that you have put the nation at risk, what is the next move? Our forefathers used to say, “if you cannot hear you will feel.” You may not be at risk but can you see how you have allowed the nation to be susceptible to this virus? You are to be blamed and there is no excuse for you.

    UNAPOLOGETIC

  5. Ras B
    March 23, 2020

    I have been warning and making suggestions on how to prevent the arrival of Covid-19 to our shores. Now because of our unbelievable stupidity; Covid is now on island. How did it get there? I hear you ask. It was imported!!
    How do we prevented unwanted imports by blocking them from our ports. I had long called for closure of our ports.

    Interestingly, Our prime minister tells us: Prime Minister Skerrit has advised Dominicans to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. This was the same government who was so boastlful in telling its people that they have been ‘on top of the GAME’ for sometime; they have been certified by WHO that they are 80% prepared etc. etc. At the first hit they start to tremble in their pants.

    Dominica let us realise how much we have been shortchained by the incompetence of our leaders.

    I say let us grow from this experience! No more shall we be misled by politicians! Let us work together. The virus is impartial, it affects, red, green and blue…

  6. Man bites dogs
    March 23, 2020

    Mr Prime minister Skerrit, as much as I admire you or may have misunderstood I will disagree with you on one point you said that the greater risk of the Covid-19 Virus is for the senior citizens over the age of 70 not so any longer in the UK and Europe they are now finding out it’s also knocking young people as well everyone is at risk even young babies have died.

  7. Man bite dogs
    March 23, 2020

    Well done PM Skerrit, you are a remarkable leader the type of person I would fight alongside the in in any battle I also hope one day in the future I may not be to see it there will be a big Bronze – Sculpture of you in the middle of Roseau to remind people of you, Now I heard a certain Linton is calling out his clay pigeons to protest and blocking the airports etc to stop the Covid-19 Virus from coming in to Dominica Oh boy what can one say about this guy Linton he will never learn!!!

    • viewsexpressed
      March 25, 2020

      Man Bites Dogs blindly, ignorantly and foolishly to his failed leader who says: “Well done PM Skerrit, you are a remarkable leader. And you expect us to believe this nonsense? Skerrit isn`t a remarkable Leader
      Tell us how he became that remarkable leader? Are you ok in your brains or just this pathetically blind “Man biting Dogs”, waging their tails.
      Let`s go through Bobol list of this so called failed “Remarkable Leader .lol..lol”
      We are reminded of the abuse of states funds: 1.Bin Bobol 2.Fertilizer Bobol 3. Passport Scam Bobol (we need to know about our states funds from our passports sales.) 4. We need to know of the Red Clinic, where states funds given to our poor people who que at Financial Centre and receive substantial cash? This has reduced our people as beggars/Loyalty for Grand Papa Skerrit, who has abused our states finances, failed in getting jobs for our poor people that He has created and reduced them to beggars. This is shameful from a Prime Minister who is…

    • out of south city
      March 25, 2020

      Seems like you are living on another planet. Why do you occupy space on this medium and write so much nonsensical words? You need to wake up to reality so that your eyes will be opened to what’s truly going on. With your mindset, no wonder you support your leader, who keeps misleading and misguiding you. I feel so sorry for you.

    • viewsexpressed
      March 25, 2020

      “Well done PM Skerrit, you are a remarkable leader the type of person I would fight alongside…” Remarkable my foot!? What nonsense talk and illiterate thought is this?, Oppps I forget you are the “man who bites dogs”, woof, woof. Idiot.
      Skerrit has nothing of substance to offer us as Dominicans and has kept our nature Isle Dominica in poverty where people are struggling while the big boys in government are happily astray and all over the place. We need lots of answers from Skerrit and his failed corrupted Labour Government. While our people suffer we have some already well off with homes and good houses in USA, while our people here are given “two by four” houses and to have these poor vulnerable people to shout out; “We love our PM wi”. What hypocrisy and ignoramous is this.”
      My people, we get rid of failed immature Skerrit and his corrupted Labour Bobol government. Rather than raising the standard of our people they are out there begging for cash from fail Big Dada…

  8. smitty
    March 23, 2020

    Everything being done in Dominica is reactive. We have been aware of all the precautions that are necessary when it comes to this virus. We have seen how the originating country dealt with their situation. We have seen how other nations have subsequently dealt with this, and yet it took a positive test to encourage this government to get serious. Borders should have been closed over three weeks ago, with mandatory quarantine and isolation in observable units to anyone that was allowed in being enforced. Now that the horse is out of the barn, we are trying to close the barn doors. Ridiculous. My people, pray for our country, and do your best to be safe and healthy. Please, despite the social distancing, and self-quarantining, let us not forget to be nice to each other, and help each other wherever and whenever we can. Give praise to God, and walk in God’s shadow, for he is the ultimate determiner.

  9. Islander in Texas
    March 23, 2020

    Great job Mr. Prime Minister!!

    • out of south city
      March 25, 2020

      Great job for what? I believe that your are saying great job that he is responsible for what is taking place now and for putting the nation at risk. Stop being idiotic. Do you really understand that people’s lives are at stake?

  10. Toto
    March 23, 2020

    Weasel words my man, you had golden opportunity to keep the island safe by closing the borders before now but nothing was done. You boast about we being prepared but that was all just talk. No test at the airport , not even toilet paper it have at the airport public toilet but you don’t know that because is only vip you travel. Go and blow another shofar my friend because you are really special bro. Leadership is everything, dknow what I mean?

  11. Nr. One
    March 23, 2020

    Weeks and weeks this man was advised to close Dominicas border or guard it rigorously by he refused to do so. If the movement in and out of DA had been restricted in time we would not be listening to this man in in tailored suit and shirt now, stating the obvious and making excuses. He and Trump failed to understand the seriousness of the situation right from the beginning. Now, our country, which has mediocre healthcare facilities in the first place will be a heavy price. How much longer can we afford to harbour this Scharlatan, allowing him to skim our scarce resources and make wrong political decisions that only benefit him but not the citizens of DA. We have to put an end to it and we have to put an end to it now!

  12. Dixson
    March 23, 2020

    Why do you have to wait until we have a confirmed case for you to implement those measures. Once our neighbors were infected we should have closed the our borders. Thanks to this we are now exposed the this virus.

  13. My Two Cents In
    March 23, 2020

    Does Dominica have enough ventilators to take care of COVID-19 patients and non COVID-19 patients? Are there enough medical supplies for the patients and personal protection equipment (PPE) for the health care workers for a rapid escalation of the outbreak? Health care workers can get the virus. Is Dominica ready for that also?

  14. The Gambler
    March 23, 2020

    Two little too late. All these decisions should have been taken 2 weeks ago. The whole of China closed down almost two months ago because of coronavirus. The mighty US, where Skerrit’s children were born closed down schools, business places, entertainment centers because of Covid-19. We hearing of the havoc of COVID-19 in Italy, England, France and even our neighboring island of Guadeloupe and yet Skerrit failed to take decisions to keep us safe. In fact Chinese never stopped coming and no one was ever screened at any of our ports. Instead of taking decisions to protect us Skerrit was on the radio behaving like a super hero and preschooler talking nonsense about he in not going to take decisions based on fear to close down schools and installation of pipes in Roseau to help fight COVID-19. All this after be the Prime Ministers of Grenada and Barbados had taken decisions to protect their citizens. Skerrit behaved very irresponsible like a child, and gambled with our lived

  15. viewsexpressed
    March 23, 2020

    Jesus Christ, only now this man is thinking of takin action that shou have happened weeks ago? What happened Skerrit, you were not following what is happening in China, Italy, United Kingdom etc that you were to have some serious Plan of Action prepared to move on to ensure that all that is needed to address this matter should have been done sometime back.
    “We shall be intensifying screening at our borders and I anticipate that in a day or two, we shall be announcing new measures and regulations with respect to opening of our ports of entry……as of tomorrow, we shall beef up security and screening at our ports of entry and by midweek I shall have more two say on the issue of mandatory quarantine of persons entering our island.”
    Why is that it`s only now that these actions above, to prepare our Ports etc is now being addressed and not implemented?
    Good Luck my Dominican people. Please keep your eyes and ears wide open, and listen and abide to our Health professionals. Gods Guidance.

  16. My Two Cents In
    March 23, 2020

    I think the Dominica government should have been quarantining everybody who arrived in Dominica starting way back then for two weeks, instead of now having to close schools, ask people to stay in, and people who are not stocking up but buying regular replacement can not do so because of empty shelves in the stores. The outbreak is expected to last about 18 months. Are schools going to be closed for 18 months? Dominica does not have to block people from entering, only quarantine people who arrive from all countries. It is not to late to start. Other countries now have a right to Hot Spot Dominica and block Dominicans from entering their countries because schools in Dominica are closed.

  17. Shaka zulu
    March 23, 2020

    This is laughable!!! It seems like the PM was waiting for the virus to be here.
    “the prime minister announced. “We shall be intensifying screening at our borders and I anticipate that in a day or two, we shall be announcing new measures and regulations with respect to opening of our ports of entry……as of tomorrow, we shall beef up security and screening at our ports of entry and by midweek I shall have more two say on the issue of mandatory quarantine of persons entering our island.” was that not supposed to have been the case considering how long the virus been around and knowing how it could get in. PM i think you get what you wanted so you can use as a scapegoat for the state of the economy. Tell the people who been paying salaries last few months. Now you can use excuse to beg for aid. Dominicans wait and see.

  18. I vex man
    March 23, 2020

    I don’t blame PM for coronavirus in Dominica because we all knew that it was just a matter of time. However I blame PM for knowing danger was at our doors and did nothing to protect us. Everything he said in his address should have been done at least two weeks ago. I am a laborite but this is not election time. Since January we heard how coronavirus destroying China and Skerrit being so close to China, was in a position to get information from them and protect our boarders. But instead he, the minister of health and the ministry of health were just talking without taking vital steps to keep us protected. Then the last two weeks they heard how COVID-19 destroying the US, Italy, the UK, France and the steps they took to fight it yet, all we saw in Dominica is more talk from the government and no action. In fact actions they took were to open our doors wider to Covid-19 because we never stopped accepting planes and cruise ships and if they did not stop we would keep accepting them.

  19. Crying out
    March 23, 2020

    I’ve prooved that this man is wicked and selfish children have to stay home who going to watch them?parents have to go to work and deal with infected persons and go home to their kids plus the elders that sometimes live with them.Skerrit u are very wicked and God knows I leaving u in his hands

    • March 25, 2020

      Yes, child minding can be a struggle. But by continuing to send them to school it would hasten the spread of the virus, leading to the overwhelming of the hospital and avoidable deaths. If anything, this should have happened earlier.

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