– CARICOM Chair, Mottley says authorities working to protect regional population against Coronavirus

– COHSOD creates draft communications strategy to combat misinformation

By Navendra Seoraj
AS the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) continues to work towards keeping the Coronavirus out of the region, Chairman of the bloc and Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley has urged persons not to panic.

“We are ensuring that the community can protect the population, but we also want to ensure that panic does not beset our people…history has shown that panic does not assist in the resolution of these matter,” said Prime Minister Mottley, during a press briefing at the CARICOM Secretariat, at Turkeyen, on Monday.

The outbreak of the Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, started in December 2019, and up to last week, saw about 8,000 cases being laboratory-confirmed globally, with 82 cases confirmed outside of China.

According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
As the region seeks to steer clear of the virus, Prime Minister Mottley believes that the temptation to “overshoot” and “panic” is something persons must avoid. In plotting out the region’s approach to dealing with the virus, the CARICOM Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) met in Guyana, on Monday, under the Chairmanship of Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, Antigua and Barbuda, Molwyn Joseph.

According to a report from CARICOM Today, representatives of the CARPHA, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) – all Community Institutions – as well as the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), provided updates to the Ministers and Officials on the regional response and guidelines for action on the Novel Corona Virus (nCoV 19).
The Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) also made a presentation to the meeting regarding the measures they have implemented to minimise the transmission of the disease

A report from COHSOD, bearing the recommendations on the way forward, is expected to be submitted to Prime Minister Mottley in the coming days, but based what was told to her in preliminary briefing, the prime minister said she is satisfied with the region’s capacity to keep the virus out.

In outlining some of the systems in place to deal with the virus, Mottley said: “in 2007 CARICOM facilitated the creation of an entity called the Joint Regional Communication Centre that allows us to be able to do checks on every person coming into the region. “I was on the frontline in 2006/7 when we created the regional communication centre to do real time checks on the movement and tracking of people and where they come from…that is the first step for us in treating with open borders.”

The second step relates to the question of port health authorities and their capacity to do secondary assessments, said Prime Minister Mottley, adding that the third step relates to countries having access to and creating appropriate quarantining conditions if necessary.
“We need to contextualise it against other public health concerns and not be taken by those who want a rush to judgement that will lead to difficulties,” said Prime Minister Mottley, noting that the region will, as such, take an evidence-based approach, which will be measures and appropriate to the risks which the region faces.

As it is now, the prime minister believes it is important for “frontline” workers to understand and contextualise the risk of the public health outbreak. Despite outlining those steps, she said, the community will, however, look to refrain from prejudging aspects of dealing with the virus because it is a matter that will have to be dealt with on a daily basis, given the “fast-moving” nature of the virus.

Considering the fast-moving nature of the virus, Prime Minister Mottley believes that COHSOD needs to meet again very soon because CARICOM is hoping that the issue can be resolved at that level.

CARICOM Today reported that Health Ministers and Officials of the Region have agreed to draft an aggressive communications strategy to combat misinformation on the Novel Coronavirus. The Ministers and Officials agreed that the comprehensive Communications Strategy would address misinformation about the virus, as well as provide citizens with correct information on how the situation is being addressed. The strategy will target various audiences and include information about the ways in which the virus can be prevented, transmitted and controlled.

According to the report, it was also recommended at the meeting that the Region agree to a coordinated, standard approach for handling of entry to air and sea ports. Issues such as the roles and functions of personnel at the ports; transporting of samples for testing; dialogue with airlines and cruise lines; and action to be taken before, during and after an outbreak, were all discussed.

The Member States have agreed that they will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves internationally, and are on standby to meet again as required. In recognising the severity of the disease, which, according to the Aljazeera, has already killed about 420 people in China, Guyana has taken steps to strengthen its port health authority, and is even working with officials to examine the possibility of bringing home Guyanese students who are in China.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported that authorities here continue to be on guard against the Coronavirus, and are even well-equipped to deal with the virus if it reaches here.
“We are prepared and equipped with what is needed to handle a situation, should one arise,” said Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence during a joint press briefing between the Ministry of Public Health and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) last Tuesday.

According to Minister Lawrence, government’s first approach to keeping the virus at bay is to ensure that they “test, isolate and treat” any person who enters Guyana, and has a high index of suspicion. While every port is being monitored, the minister said emphasis is being placed on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the Eugene F. Correia Airport.
“We have not moved to the second phase to check whether we do have cases, but what we are looking at is what it will take to expand services outside of Georgetown, especially if we have an overflow… We know GPHC has a high occupancy rate, so we need another facility to house persons,” said the minister, noting that the ministry is examining other available facilities, and looking at what needs to be purchased. So far, the ministry has confirmed that it has an adequate supply of medication to treat the respiratory and other symptoms of the disease.