Delano Franklyn | Mixed signals by the Government on COVID-19 creating confusion

Last Wednesday, the minister of health and wellness announced that a record 403 persons tested positive for COVID-19 on February 8. The record number topped a surge in COVID-19 cases over the past few days.

The record number of positive COVID-19 cases for any day, to date, was accompanied by an announcement that a record number of about 2,000 COVID-19 tests had been undertaken over the same period.

Clearly, the more persons tested is greater the likelihood that more positive cases will be identified. It is, therefore, fair to assume that there are far more positive cases in the country than we are aware of. This is troubling and has given rise to increased fear among many, particularly those in the older age group, that things are spinning out of control.

The community spread of the virus is clearly on the increase. This has led some persons to believe that the country has entered a new phase of the epidemic. This is not surprising given the number of persons across the country who are not adhering to the stipulated social protocols.

Transgression of the protocols takes place on a daily basis, mostly so in the transport sector, our town centres, our marketplaces, street corners and community-based funeral gatherings and parties.

Last Sunday, I travelled through White Horses in St Thomas and witnessed more than 200 persons gathered for a funeral. Music was in full swing and the attendees were gathered, almost shoulder to shoulder, most without masks, and those with masks had them tightly fitted under their chins, as they imbibed their favourite liquid in honour of the dearly departed.

PRIME MINISTER’S RESPONSE

The prime minister and the Government, in reacting to the significant spike in the numbers last Wednesday, announced that curfew hours will no longer begin at 10 p.m. but at 8 p.m., and that gatherings will be scaled back from a maximum of 15 persons to 10.

This is not enough. Much more serious and drastic measures are required to curb the spread. The curfews need to be far more restricted, the authorities need to be more resolute, and we need to ramp up public education encouraging members of the public to exercise greater personal responsibility in protecting themselves and those around them.

This is more so given the possibility that new variants of the virus may be present among us. The new variants are said to be far more aggressive in its transmission than COVID-19.

Yes, there needs to be a balance, as the prime minister said, between “saving lives and preserving livelihoods”, but we cannot sacrifice the lives of our people on the basis of expediency. Our business community has taken a huge hit as a result of lockdowns but the reality is there is a serious spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, requiring more drastic actions by the Government. The Government needs to find ways to help those who will be affected by further lockdowns. If there is ever a time that stimulus packages are required, it is now.

Our hospitals, health centres and health workers are under tremendous pressure dealing with persons who are affected by the virus.

Representatives of the Nursing Association and the medical fraternity have been at pains to point out that increased hospitalisation due to COVID-19 has placed undue burden on our hospitals and healthcare workers.

Their position, surprisingly, was contradicted last week by the minister of tourism who, although acknowledging an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, argued that our hospitalisation rate has remained quite low.

The minister seems not to be aware that the COVID ward at the Mandeville Regional Hospital is now operating at maximum capacity, resulting in the management of the hospital having to retrofit another ward to accommodate COVID-19 patients who are waiting to be admitted. He doesn’t seem to be aware that the University Hospital of the West Indies is full to capacity with COVID-19 patients, and that the Kingston Public Hospital and Spanish Town Hospital are near full with COVID-19 patients.

GOVERNMENT MUST SHARE BLAME

The Government cannot escape blame for the undue care being shown by a large number of our people to what is clearly a crisis requiring crisis measures. The mixed signals being sent by the Government are creating much confusion in the country.

The prime minister announced the reduction in the number of persons being able to gather in any one place, yet the minister of education, no doubt with the agreement of the said prime minister, is pressing ahead with face-to-face teaching in schools. She is doing so, despite the views of many school administrators and teachers that there are a number of schools not yet ready for face-to-face gathering, given the less than adequate resources in many schools to deal with the reality of COVID-19.

Amid the spike in COVID-19 cases, the minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport announced recently that provision for the resumption of sporting activities will take place under certain conditions.

According to the minister of sport, “I am happy that the new order has made provision for sporting events. We have been lobbying on behalf of sporting bodies to receive special exemptions for their events to take place. Now that the order has made provision for sports events, I am asking for sport bodies ... to submit their applications, no longer asking for exemptions, but to stage their events, including training sessions, under the provisions of this new order.”

The minister was referring to a new order incorporated in the Disaster Risk Management Act under which the protocols in relation to COVID-19 can be enforced by the authorities.

I can understand the minister and the Government wanting to appease the sports community. However, in light of the record increase in COVID-19 cases, such an order should be put on hold until we have fully contained the spread. Those who are most susceptible to contracting the virus are not young athletes, but coaches, teachers, administrators and volunteers, many of whom have existing underlying health issues.

The Government needs to be far more proactive in accessing vaccine to begin the process of vaccinating our people against the virus. The Government’s plan to purchase vaccine for only 16 per cent of the population, when the international benchmark to get on top of the virus is 70 per cent, is woefully inadequate.

COVID-19 has already impacted nearly 18,000 of our people – more than 370 have died. Positive cases are on the increase. New variants of the virus may already be in our midst. The Government must speak with one voice on the issue of COVID-19. Mixed signals being given by different ministers will not help.

- Delano Franklyn is attorney-at-law and former PNP senator and minister of state. Send feedback to delanofranklyn@gmail.com