As the number of active COVID-19 cases in Dominica jumps to 311, the government says it is vamping up its Covid-19 care facility in Portsmouth with a new structure for human resource, maintenance and equipment, meals and other support services,
Health Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre made the announcement during a press briefing on Wednesday night in which he revealed that of the 311 active cases of Covid-19 -all confirmed by PCR tests – 159 are male and 152 female whose ages range from age 2 to 88-years.
The good news is that so far there have been no deaths from the virus.
According to the minister, all 311 active cases are in isolation at the Covid-19 care complex in Portsmouth and all symptomatic and asymptomatic cases are recovering satisfactorily and are clinically stable.
“We have multiple facilities under our Covid-19 Care Complex in Portsmouth,” Dr. McIntyre stated. “This expansion was necessary not only to increase capacity in view of the present wave, but also to facilitate differentiation of the cases.”
Dr. Adrien Dechausay has been given a special assignment as the Medical Director of the new human resource structure which provides support for the Covid-19 Care Complex, and according to Dr. McIntyre, he will oversee seven doctors as well as 4 other medical directors.
The health minister stated that the doctors at the Covid-19 facility, along with the consultative group of specialists, are continuously engaged in the management of these cases on a daily basis.
He also mentioned a new nursing structure which has been approved by Cabinet and which includes, among other things, a Deputy Principal Nursing Officer and 4 Directors of Nursing. This new structure is to be headed by Deputy Principal Nursing Officer, Magdalene Alexander.
The minister commended all the healthcare professionals “who have readily come forward to provide this increased level of support in the management of Covid-19 and are now rallying together to contain the spread of the virus and provide consistent care to patients in a safe environment.”
He said testing will continue daily in communities around the island to ensure that every Dominican is able to ascertain his or her status. Testing will also continue daily at Windsor Park Sports Stadium.
Dr. McIntyre is encouraging the general public to get tested.
“Whether or not you are displaying symptoms and also if you are in contact with someone who tested positive,” he advised. “This is in your own interest and that of your family and country as well.”
An appeal to the private sector to encourage their staff to know their status and get tested has already taken root in the public sector where it is required that officers accessing various government buildings should be tested.
“We have already identified at least 3 cases from antigen testing,” Dr. McIntyre revealed. “This will ensure that we can reduce the risk of spread in the workplace.” he stated.
He reminded the public that per emergency order SRO 22 of 2021, a curfew remains in effect between 6:00pm and 5:00am daily until August 17th 2021 and during the day, only essential services should be accessed
“On Saturday you will be able to access the supermarkets from 6:00am to 1:00pm,” Dr. McIntyre stated. “A complete shutdown comes into effect from 3:00pm on Saturday until 5:00am on Monday.”
He urged everyone to adhere to these public regulations.
“If you do not need to be out in the public stay home, and just as important, avoid gatherings,” he warned.
The health minister encourages the public to follow the necessary protocols to reduce the chances of getting infected and prevent the spread of Covid-19 and strongly urges the adult population to get vaccinated.
“Vaccines remain the main defense against Covid-19,” he said.
What is going in Dominica. How is it that the authorities pick you up at your home, put in isolation and don’t feed you.
If you all know that you are unable to take care of people don’t take them away from their home where they are being cared for. Not everyone is careless. There are those who can isolated them at their homes. If after two being tested positive, on one in at her home was contaminated, why not continue isolation at home. Instead of taking you into isolation and leaving you without food.
@Chocked, (I know u mean ‘shocked’) who told you that, what u been smoking, and, who u been smoking it with? Lol lol
I can tell you, that there many false pos results. People, before we knew anything about virus and Covid, we used to get a fever now and then! Sometimes you could be at work and all of a sudden you feel like you coming down with a fever. Depending on how you feel you’d asked to home for the rest of the day. You’d probably make some bush tea and get a good rubdown. What I’m trying to say is this….Nowadays, if you are found to have a fever, a little high temperature they giving you a positive test result for Covid. That’s B.S! Then you have to quarantine and pay an arm and a leg at these Safe in “MODAH-NATURE” Sh…t. For what? A little fever we get periodically.
For lack of vision my ppl perish.18 months of doing the same thing, Yet!!!
Ask yourselves, what is the incidence of deaths as a ratio to cases? is there really a need to try and count COVID cases, especially when after nearly 2 years we see that 99.99% of positive cases recover even without vaccines. 100% in Dominica’s case; 0 deaths so far.
Regarding Quarantine for travelers; what % of the negative travelers held in quarantine test positive after the 7 days? Does it make sense to keep this up indefinitely?
Wouldn’t it be a better use of time and resources to concentrate on vaccinating persons fitting the criteria of a weakened immune rather than play tricks to try and vaccinate healthy ppl who probably don’t even need to get the gunk that comes with the vaccine?
There are risks on both sides of the spectrum. Use your heads. Do things differently. Forcing ppl to take the vaccines are causing more suspicions, even when there is no ill intention. Nonsense Simon Says policies.
I would be careful and question the government’s propaganda that Dominica has had no Covid death. I believe that they are as usual very economical with the truth. Who knows? A PM that only reports GOOD news to keep himself in a good light can’t be trusted. Also, in a country we’re the dead do still vote can we be sure of the true cause of death being stated on the death certificate???
Irksome business the way COVID-19 is being managed and now it’s Dominica’s turn to lose their heads bout it. The Authorities everywhere will keep this style and method of COVID-19 management until they Hear the White Man say ok, Ease uP Now!!
A few Questions if I May,
1.) What is the trend of testing before the “outbreak”, has there been consistent testing yielding negative tests and then we saw this sudden uptick? Are there weekly testing statistics somewhere?
Unless we had been doing this consistently on a longer term basis, there is no base data to compare the numbers to. There likely are more cases in the environment.
2.) How feasible is it to quarantine everyone if capacity is limited, especially people with zero symptoms? You will run out of space eventually.
3.) What is the possibility that some of these tests are wrong?
4.) Why are double vaxed testing positive and quarantined, what’s the point of the vaccine then?
Think for yourselves. 18 months of failed…
Hi, how many people who get covid are vaccinated? I never get answer.
The delta virus is much more contagious than the previous one. Even if you have been double jabbed you can still catch it although you will be less ill. Even if you are asymptomatic you can still pass it on to 8 people who in turn pass it to 8 people each. Please follow the curfew and social distancing. You will be happy you did.
Allyou get the memo that the CDC stipulating that the PCR testing shall no longer be used to test for COVID???
https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dls/locs/2021/07-21-2021-lab-alert-Changes_CDC_RT-PCR_SARS-CoV-2_Testing_1.html
What does it matter at this point, will the number be 500 instead of 729?
See, I just want to know. Why wasn’t there any 311 cases when Melissa attracted carnival sized crowds for *several* nights in December? I’m supposed to accept, without question that a gathering at a lot resulted in this but the former was outbreak free? Covid doesn’t discriminate so what exactly going on here?
Because it’s a different variant you’re dealing with now. The 1st one was less contagious. The delta one you have now can spread like wildfire.
The accurate count of the number of covid-19 cases is yet to be calculated. Before the end of this weekend the real number of victims of the coronavirus could be well north of six hundred (600).
Much of the blame for this astronomical rise can be laid squarely at the feet of Prime Minister Robin Hood. He has not led by example and has allowed his submissive disciples to keep super spreader events.
Dominica needs just one thing to turn things around. ASTUTE LEADERSHIP! Robin Hood and his henchmen/women have to GO and GO NOW!
Everything is being mismanaged by this uniquely unqualified miscreant who corruptly sits in the highest seat of government. He is no mathematician, accountant nor economist but is Minister of Finance.
He did no course in medicine but is the lead spokesman on covid-19. He cannot lay a cement block correctly but pronounces on construction. He has done nothing in environmental science, geography nor meteorology but always talk about resilience and climate change.
He was like a poor church rat before entering politics. Politics has made him the richest public servant in the Caribbean. All this while his country languishes at the bottom of the pile in the OECS and most Dominicans have become mendicants.
Take a serious look at the feeder roads, the stadium, the public library, the economy now in Hospice Care are Mr. Skerrit’s unenviable legacy.
All those persons that organized jams and sewo with some useless and no talent Deejays should be held accountable.
The country was just on a leggo
Shut it down.
@Doc Mal-a-tete
when are you guys going to STOP the nonsense about 0 covid deaths? I know the nurse that spoke to Lofty earlier this week mentioned how impossible it would be to hide such a thing but let me ask two questions;
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I am pro-vaccine and would love to see everyone vaccinated but its because of all the lies this administration is telling people that’s scaring them. Just tell them there might be side effects based on the person’ medical history but taking it is better than not. Gosh Man! Las…
ADMIN: We can appreciate your questions and concerns.
However, you stated parts of your questions as if they were fact. If you have evidence then please provide it to us as we have not found evidence to verify or prove the assertions you made.
Ok DNO I respect your decision not to publish the “deleted ” part of my comments. However rest assured my information is on point so just maybe you all can use it to do some investigative reporting. Hopefully the content of the death certificates are accurate but ask the family members and then publish a nice report.
I did say ALLEGED in my question but just maybe you all got a little NORVOS to publish as granny would say. Stay blessed and keep up the good work as always.
My Prime minister I am not sure what you are trying to prove by not completely shouting down the country. Movements need to be limited if we are to get a handle on this. Be mindful that if this gets worst we do not have the capacity to deal with it, and our health system and economy will completely collapse. Please shut the country down.
What was the main cause(s) for this sudden uptick in coronavirus cases? Why has the administration refused to hold press conferences and give bona fide journalists and other citizens an opportunity to ask questions? Why does the information have to come from government sources only without being questioned? Are the people thought of as sheep?
In order to get significantp cooperation from the public a high level of comfort and trust must first be developed between the government and the public. Communication, trust and respect are keys in getting more people to join in the fight against this dreaded virus.
The members of the ruling kakistocracy need to stop dictating and talking condescendingly to the people and do some listening also. This might just help.
I wonder what would be better for Dominica now: 1. A Ross University that employs over 200 hundred Dominicans and over 2000 persons that benefited from Ross indirectly or 2. A Ross University that Skerrit got rid of and replaced with a covid19 center that government is busy looking for more space for? Barbados, where Skerrit exported Ross University to now has over 4ooo cases and 48 deaths is not on any known lockdown though I know they had a curfew from 11pm to 5am that does not hurt their economy compared to the 7am to 4pm Skerrit has in place here with so many business places are shutdown. Is Skerrit with 0 deaths and no seriously sick patients using covid 19 to completely destroy the economy so he could put more people on their knees? Lets not forget that when Skerrit put us on this curfew we only had 10 cases and again I stress 10 cases that tested positive. Had it not been for the 311 positive cases all of these persons would be on the street living a normal life.
Possie ou parka faire sance. No one chose using Ross as a covid center over the university. We messed up and the buildings are there unoccupied so why not use them. Let’s think before we decide to engage our keyboards. This is not Facebook. This is a reputable news site where healthy and intelligent discussions are held.