(TRINIDADGUARDIAN)Now that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the emergency status of COVID-19 over, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says the remaining public health regulations implemented during the pandemic could be lifted by the end of this week.
The PM made the revelation at a media conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s, yesterday, where he noted that the only regulation which could remain would be the requirement to wear masks in public health facilities.
On March 30, the Office of the Attorney General published the latest renewal of the regulations which were to run from March 31, 2023, to July 3, 2023.
“Initially, they were to be enforced until July, we are now going to discontinue virtually all of those and the requirements,” the Prime Minister Rowley said, as he noted the adjustment to the policy.
“For COVID testing, to travel and to enter the country and things like that, the only thing that we think we will keep is in the health system, where it is prudent to keep masks on so as to protect patients and employees.”
Travel restrictions and testing requirements were actually already lifted in July last year. The current regulations only speak to allowing the Minister of Health to order quarantine for a COVID-19 patient, and allowing the Minister of Health to create new regulations as need be to mitigate the spread. Also, according to the current regulations, positive tests must be reported to the Ministry of Health.
Prime Minister Rowley said by Friday or the weekend, Attorney General Reginald Armour will update the legislation, following consultation with the Chief Medical Officer, and ring it to his desk for signature.
On May 4, the WHO reported that COVID-19 is “now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency.”
Despite this, Prime Minister Rowley said the country must remain vigilant.
“We have to tell ourselves COVID has not gone it has come it has receded considerably. And we will live with it as the rest of the world is at the moment,” he said.
Meanwhile, the country’s remaining COVID-19 vaccine stock is set to expire on June 8 but Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh assures that work is underway to procure more doses.
Deyalsingh made the comment following the opening ceremony for the Caribbean Workshop on National Action Plans for AMR at the Hilton Trinidad yesterday. However, he noted nothing is set in stone.
“We have already started that process since last year. We expect more. When I have firm details I will come to the population and say X vaccines are here, expiring on so and so date. We didn’t wait until June to start to look. We started to look since last year,” he said.
The Minister again reiterated calls for the vulnerable members of the population to get vaccinated, especially before the vaccines expire.
