COVID-19 in Trinidad & Tobago (Local Updates & Discussions Only)

[SMc]

wtf they bring back doctor mild trotman for?

That Trotman lady mad. She come up to the podium and grab she mask from the front twice, contaminating it, before she even started speaking. She take off the dirty mask, put it on the table jusso - no bag nothing for the mask. She didn't sanitize or wash her hands after taking off the mask. Later in her speech she take the mask off the table and literally wave it around like in a Carnival fete.

Any respiratory droplets that were trapped by the mask are now on the same podium as the PM and aerosolized for him to breathe.

Dr. Trotman was the most disturbing part of that entire broadcast- outside that it wasn't a bad conference thingy-
wait, I forgot, Rowley playing news clips off his phone was really sh1t also

[redmanjp]

wtf they bring back doctor mild trotman for?

That Trotman lady mad. She come up to the podium and grab she mask from the front twice, contaminating it, before she even started speaking. She take off the dirty mask, put it on the table jusso - no bag nothing for the mask. She didn't sanitize or wash her hands after taking off the mask. Later in her speech she take the mask off the table and literally wave it around like in a Carnival fete.

Any respiratory droplets that were trapped by the mask are now on the same podium as the PM and aerosolized for him to breathe.

Dr. Trotman was the most disturbing part of that entire broadcast- outside that it wasn't a bad conference thingy-
wait, I forgot, Rowley playing news clips off his phone was really sh1t also

yeah they could have asked the tv stations to show the clips properly

[Gladiator]

wtf they bring back doctor mild trotman for?

That Trotman lady mad. She come up to the podium and grab she mask from the front twice, contaminating it, before she even started speaking. She take off the dirty mask, put it on the table jusso - no bag nothing for the mask. She didn't sanitize or wash her hands after taking off the mask. Later in her speech she take the mask off the table and literally wave it around like in a Carnival fete.

Any respiratory droplets that were trapped by the mask are now on the same podium as the PM and aerosolized for him to breathe.

Dr. Trotman was the most disturbing part of that entire broadcast- outside that it wasn't a bad conference thingy-
wait, I forgot, Rowley playing news clips off his phone was really sh1t also

She seems to be a little mentally unstable...

[K74T]

He said auto parts places as well, didn't he?

Yes

[redmanjp]

wetman ph drivers assoc not happy

Maxi Taxi operators will now have access to a fuel grant of $2000 to assist with the burden of operating at 50% capacity.

grant should be made on condition that fares revert back to what they were before covid.

[pugboy]

and she is a senior govt medical staff

wtf they bring back doctor mild trotman for?

That Trotman lady mad. She come up to the podium and grab she mask from the front twice, contaminating it, before she even started speaking. She take off the dirty mask, put it on the table jusso - no bag nothing for the mask. She didn't sanitize or wash her hands after taking off the mask. Later in her speech she take the mask off the table and literally wave it around like in a Carnival fete.

Any respiratory droplets that were trapped by the mask are now on the same podium as the PM and aerosolized for him to breathe.

Dr. Trotman was the most disturbing part of that entire broadcast- outside that it wasn't a bad conference thingy-
wait, I forgot, Rowley playing news clips off his phone was really sh1t also

She seems to be a little mentally unstable...

[K74T]

The entire manufacturing and construction sector will be allowed to return to work on Thursday 21st May, 2020 as the Government continues to ease COVID-19 restrictions.

Prime Minister Dr the Hon Keith Rowley said today Phase 2, initially scheduled to begin on May 24th, 2020 will now commence earlier due to favourable testing results.

Phase 2 will also include the reopening of :
* Auto repair/parts and tyre shops
* Laundry and dry cleaning services

Public transportation will still be required to operate at a 50% passenger capacity.

The Prime Minister said as a result, a one-time payment of a TTD2,000 Fuel Support Grant will be made available for registered maxi-taxi and taxi operators.

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Works and Transport will coordinate this effort. Further details are expected in the coming days.

Noting that domestic workers and personal services like spas and barber shops present a great risk in the spread of COVID-19, Dr Rowley urged employers/employees of these establishments to have patience, saying that it was still too early to open these areas. In an effort to assist these persons, he announced that the Ministry of Social Development will now give priority to those employed in this sector.

Dr Rowley said as the Government eases restrictions, police officers together with District Medical Officers will execute patrols to ensure compliance with the Public Health Regulations.

Prime Minister Rowley said Trinidad and Tobago’s borders remain closed, except for the managed introduction of persons from the outside which include UWI students from the Barbados and Jamaica campuses.

He also encouraged businesses to implement a No Mask/No Service policy.

[rexsmith]

what does the PM mean by the manufacturing sector? like what businesses?

[Dohplaydat]

what does the PM mean by the manufacturing sector? like what businesses?

I believe it's manufacturing businesses.

[De Dragon]

wtf they bring back doctor mild trotman for?

That Trotman lady mad. She come up to the podium and grab she mask from the front twice, contaminating it, before she even started speaking. She take off the dirty mask, put it on the table jusso - no bag nothing for the mask. She didn't sanitize or wash her hands after taking off the mask. Later in her speech she take the mask off the table and literally wave it around like in a Carnival fete.

Any respiratory droplets that were trapped by the mask are now on the same podium as the PM and aerosolized for him to breathe.

So? This giant arse allowed a woman to visit him for a face to face meeting who admitted to having an actual 'flu just a few days prior to the visit. His response when asked?
Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh then asked about media reports (Young made the comment at the daily media briefing Monday) that Rodriguez had flu-like symptoms and whether there was any consideration of testing to be done before she arrived in TT.

Rowley replied: “I am not responsible for the medical condition of the vice president of Venezuela

If the person in charge of the nation's response to the pandemic responds like that, what is the expected response from people?

[pugboy]

they dumbwit journalists need to ask him if he would meet face to face with persons who recently had flu

sadly these so called journalists don’t know how to callout people and show them their folly

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

I wonder how well businesses will enforce “no mask no service” requirements?

Today in the gas station I noticed 90% of customers had on no mask.

[paid_influencer]

I wonder how well businesses will enforce “no mask no service” requirements?

Store employees have been killed trying to enforce that policy abroad.

Rowley see that and decide we need it here.

[eitech]

I wonder how well businesses will enforce “no mask no service” requirements?

Store employees have been killed trying to enforce that policy abroad.

Rowley see that and decide we need it here.

We does seriously protest for anything here? Ppl go pull a jersey over they face and go about dey bizness.

[Mercenary]

No mask no entry in my vehicle. Greedy drivers wud pick them up tho

[rspann]

Church's Chicken Aranguez yesterday , girl in the line had no mask , worker cleaning tables had on a chin mask .

I now studying , why was she cleaning tables ?

[Strugglerzinc]

Church's Chicken Aranguez yesterday , girl in the line had no mask , worker cleaning tables had on a chin mask .

I now studying , why was she cleaning tables ?

To get rid of the salmonella.

[sMASH]

I had gone to a market stall advertising 3 pk carrots for 10. When I was walking in I saw the sign "cannot enter without a mask" it I hesitated outside, looking for a worker to do the transaction for me. Then I realized only a few patrons had masks and a worker or two had them and around their necks.
So I just walked in, bought, politely serviced and exited.


Grocery; wash hands outside, and mask to go in. when ur in, hardly anybody business, from workers to merchandizers to half the patrons.


If this going on all the time, then this virus spread long time. and if that had happened and we didn't get any major uptick in cases or desths, then we have little to fear.

[redmanjp]

I wonder how well businesses will enforce “no mask no service” requirements?

Store employees have been killed trying to enforce that policy abroad.

Rowley see that and decide we need it here.

We'll by him saying it it no longer is a store policy but Govt policy. So businesses can say well it is the govt mandating it so u can't argue with us. In other words take it up with the Govt.

[rspann]

they dumbwit journalists need to ask him if he would meet face to face with persons who recently had flu

sadly these so called journalists don’t know how to callout people and show them their folly

They don't need to ask him that . He already showed them he would .

[MaxPower]

I had gone to a market stall advertising 3 pk carrots for 10. When I was walking in I saw the sign "cannot enter without a mask" it I hesitated outside, looking for a worker to do the transaction for me. Then I realized only a few patrons had masks and a worker or two had them and around their necks.
So I just walked in, bought, politely serviced and exited.


Grocery; wash hands outside, and mask to go in. when ur in, hardly anybody business, from workers to merchandizers to half the patrons.


If this going on all the time, then this virus spread long time. and if that had happened and we didn't get any major uptick in cases or desths, then we have little to fear.

Hello Smash,

I agree, we have very very little to fear.

Trinis are stink and continue to be stink. The germs and diseases they spread daily, carelessly and traditionally are thankfully not of Covid because it will have spread already.

I am no longer bothered by who wears a mask or not because the majority of Trinis are just not programmed to get it...dotish na.

For those who give a damn, and were not brought up in the typical Trini family, continue to social distance meticulously. If you see a Trini looking nasty and greasy as usual, keep your distance and hold your breath until you can move away. Any Trini coughing, sneezing, hawking, snorting and spitting...keep your distance.

Always remember, wash your hands and stay clean.

[paid_influencer]

We'll by him saying it it no longer is a store policy but Govt policy. So businesses can say well it is the govt mandating it so u can't argue with us. In other words take it up with the Govt.

staff are not law enforcement officers. I not putting myself at risk to confront anybody for not following govt policy. And believe me, denying service will cause conflict.

Serve them first, let them leave the store as quickly as possible, and live another day. This is Trinidad and I have been here long enough to know how this works.

[maj. tom]

The public itself would be more serious about it if cases were like in USA. 90k dead, 1.5M infected there as of today by the way.

But the truth is, thanks to the actions of the CMO and Minister of Health and luck, we escaped Covid-19. Look all now Jamaica (517 cases +6 new today) getting hit really hard because their people did not listen like we did. I still hoping that the future policy will be that our borders will remain locked until USA is clean. Because the first AA flight from Miami will bring Covid right back into our population and this time we will not escape.

[sMASH]

if a tsunami happen in indonesia, should i run to sando hill for higher ground? we had enough time, and enough interaction for swaths of people to be dropping like flies. official govt data doesnt show that, and conspiracy theory data, like respiratory deaths, showed a small increase, but not enough to say covid is a big issue.

for what ever reason, (most likely is the sunlight and heat and dry sahara dust) covid did not affect us like new york.
we have no need to continue this lock down this aggressively.

i still saying keep the borders closed, and for the susceptible to keep their distance, but the 90% of the population, lets back on track.

since antibody testing is cheaper, faster easier, we should focus on those. we already have it going on here, just isolated companies keeping track of their employees. find out who HAD covid, where they were and work forward. once u get 60% of people had it, we are as good as vaccinated. till next season at least.

[Gladiator]

The public itself would be more serious about it if cases were like in USA. 90k dead, 1.5M infected there as of today by the way.

But the truth is, thanks to the actions of the CMO and Minister of Health and luck, we escaped Covid-19. Look all now Jamaica (517 cases +6 new today) getting hit really hard because their people did not listen like we did. I still hoping that the future policy will be that our borders will remain locked until USA is clean. Because the first AA flight from Miami will bring Covid right back into our population and this time we will not escape.

Looking back at this entire thing since March I wonder if we really did do the correct thing. All we did was go inside and hide from COVID that may or may not have been out there. What will happen after June 7th? Will COVID not be there?... COVID will still be out there, no cure, no vaccine and 4.7 Million cases and counting in the world.

We know perfectly well we can "close" borders but the Venez will come across and there is a high probability that they will reintroduce it.

Should we have allowed persons to contract it in order to build up immunity? Was the correct move hiding from it in totality? I guess only time will tell...

[pugboy]

It’s only a matter of time before covid runs rampant in Venezuela just like how it is doing Brazil.

[Dizzy28]

Ramco Trincity have a security guard insisting you wash your hand at the sink set up by the door before entering the store part. The liquid soap has been watered so much its basically water with some bubbles.

Dunno why the charade nah

[paid_influencer]

That is a good point Gladiator. I think we are at the point where we can talk about an end-game for this thing.

In the US and Europe, the virus is beyond the point of containment. SARS-CoV-2 is a fact-of-life in their new reality. They will have to open their economy with the risks of death and illness present, as dreadful as that sounds. They have no choice: no amount of hiding will make the virus go away and they cannot hide forever. Coronavirus is here to stay in the US/Europe.

On vaccines and herd immunity - we have reports from all around the world of people being re-infected after they have recovered. If the science supports re-infection, herd immunity as a concept no longer exists. Vaccines are promising but do not come with any guarantee on effectiveness or ready date. It is possible coronavirus will become like the seasonal flu, only with a far more gruesome annual death toll.

Here in Trinidad we have a remarkable brief. We have only 1 active case and it is entirely possible we can eliminate the virus in the same way Polio was eliminated and Small pox was eliminated. We have documented less than 5 cases of local transmission - even during the time when we had over 20,000 returning residents from overseas and local transmission was expected. Something about this island is making it hard for the virus to spread. It could be the humidity, the heat, the PNM, the high levels of UV radiation, or maybe even God himself. I do not know.

So what is our end-game in this scenario? I think it is clear: close our borders for the next few years, tightly enforce immigration, and of course no more meetings with Venezuelan VPs that have recently had flu-like symptoms. Keep up social distancing. Make hand-washing more accessible in places of business, particularly in food services and bars. Community mask wearing is unproven and has no evidence behind it and is not supported by the WHO, but I have decided I will no longer discuss that here.

And the most important part - Strongly focus on our economy to survive in an reality without remittances, no tourism, major export destinations in economic depression, and a population that had had savings erased by 3 months of lockdown. This is the part I do not trust the PNM to handle.

[Dohplaydat]

The public itself would be more serious about it if cases were like in USA. 90k dead, 1.5M infected there as of today by the way.

But the truth is, thanks to the actions of the CMO and Minister of Health and luck, we escaped Covid-19. Look all now Jamaica (517 cases +6 new today) getting hit really hard because their people did not listen like we did. I still hoping that the future policy will be that our borders will remain locked until USA is clean. Because the first AA flight from Miami will bring Covid right back into our population and this time we will not escape.

Looking back at this entire thing since March I wonder if we really did do the correct thing. All we did was go inside and hide from COVID that may or may not have been out there. What will happen after June 7th? Will COVID not be there?... COVID will still be out there, no cure, no vaccine and 4.7 Million cases and counting in the world.

We know perfectly well we can "close" borders but the Venez will come across and there is a high probability that they will reintroduce it.

Should we have allowed persons to contract it in order to build up immunity? Was the correct move hiding from it in totality? I guess only time will tell...

The assumption we're making is that our lockdowns worked.

The entire Covid medical and epidemiology team is cautiously hoping whatever stray cases we have out there did not spread and will die out.

I honestly thought that was wishful thinking, but I'm being pleasantly surprised so far. However, again we still need to wait another 2 to 3 weeks before we can say we are mostly covid free.

And again, there is still always the possibility a few asymptomatics have been transmitting the disease and so far (almost 2 generations since the last case) no one has been ill enough to go in for testing.

Hiding from it isn't always practical, logistically, and economically.

Are we really keeping the borders closed till we've vaccinated the population? We need to put a plan in place for us to survive and have somewhat free movement in and out of the country until we have a vaccine.

And are trinis smart enough to go in for vaccines or will there be a conspiracy led anti-vaccine movement? Will we be enforcing strict 14-day state sanction quarantines throughout this year or will ppl be trusted to self-isolate.

[hydroep]