March 13, 2020

All Schools in Trinidad and Tobago Closed for One Week.

By Newsroom

All schools and universities in Trinidad and Tobago will be closed for one week, according to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley. Speaking in the House of Representatives on Friday afternoon, Dr Rowley also urged managers and business owners to implement realistic sick leave policies.  The following is an extract from the Prime Minister’s statement:

“Yesterday, the unfortunate inevitable happened and we confirmed our first case of COVID 19 in Trinidad and Tobago, a businessman who travelled to Switzerland and returned to Trinidad on Monday. Fortunately, he self- isolated and did not leave his house.

“When he began to feel ill on Wednesday and contacted public health he and his family were quarantined.“Our protocols have been operationalized for some time now. We had tested over fifty cases and this is the first one that tested positive. Contact tracing is taking place. Our professionals have been and are handling the situation and situations.

“At this stage given our stated objectives, the Government will advise that from tomorrow all schools and Universities and other places of learning would remain closed for one week in the first instance in order to slow the potential spread of any infection that might be with us at this time.

“Unfortunately, there continue to be those in our society who insist on acting irresponsibly and spreading false information. The Government has at all time acted with full transparency and will continue to do so and I urge all our people to act responsibly and not spread false information and attempt to create mischief which could only have the effect of creating a sense of panic, which would be the worst state to be in as we confront these challenges.

 “The Government has advised a number of self -imposed cautionary measures that will slow down, delay and possibly prevent the spread of the virus.

“Do not expose yourself unnecessarily through non-essential mass gathering.

“Limit your exposure to public places.

“Only travel if essential or it is an emergency.

“Practise good personal hygiene habits such as more frequent washing of your hands, avoid touching your faces with unwashed hands, sneeze and cough into tissue and properly dispose of the tissue.

“Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

“Be sensible about not exposing frail seniors or people with other health conditions to respiratory illness.

“People should stay at home if genuinely suffering from a respiratory illness. This is not a pass to skylark and evade your responsibility and play smart as an employee.

“Promote a workplace culture that supports people staying at home when genuinely sick.

“Try and avoid infecting other people at the household and outside of the home.

 “Managers and business owners should implement realistic sick leave policies. Be flexible with workplace arrangements.

“Allow people to work from home where feasible and act on Public Health recommendations.

“I implore you not to engage in panic buying as this would only create shortages of materials which should be widely available. Listen carefully to the directives given by those in authority as we will continue to provide you with all the credible information that we have and issue guidelines for your safety and benefit.

“A number of private schools have closed to santise and also as a matter of precaution. We will continue to monitor the situation which as you know is very fluid.

“The Chief Medical Officer and Head of CARPHA, The Ministries of Health and National Security will continue to present, on a daily basis, information and reports on actual preparations that have been taking place both operationally and strategically.

“The Government has initiated an analysis of the short term economic impact of the epidemic with recommendations for Government actions and this will be accompanied by a study on the longer-term effects of the COVID 19 on the economy of Trinidad and Tobago.

“In the meantime, I urge citizens to be responsible and to act with restraint as we navigate this period of the changing and the unknown. Your Government will continue to do all that it can to ensure wider public safety and protection.

“Together we must confront these challenges and together we must act with confidence that whatever it takes together we will do it and together we will overcome,” the Prime Minister said.

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