How could a patient awaiting a second negative test be given discharge papers? That was the question posed to the Chief Medical Officer, (CMO) Dr Roshan Parasram as the Ian Alleyne issue took centre stage at the Ministry of Health’s daily media briefing. Even though, based on patient confidentiality, Alleyne’s name was never used.

As it turns out a report will be forthcoming. “I have reached out to the Medical Director of Caura who will produce a report for me, together with the Trinidad Public Health Lab. I have asked for a detailed report stating what happened, where the report would have gone, who would have viewed the report and expect to get it in a few days.  It does not just stop with the Trinidad Public Health Lab- but goes on to  Carpha as well,” Dr Parasram said about the confusion that resulted when Alleyne who tested negative for the virus after a two-week stay at Caura, was handed discharge papers but was told to wait because another test had come in positive.

But Health Minister Terence Deyalsingh called the issue, that was ventilated on both social media  and mainstream media, as a “freak show.” He quoted extensively from this letter, sent to Alleyne’s attorney Gerald Ramdeen, who had issued a pre-action protocol letter to the CMO, seeking to have the talk show host released from Caura.