Trinidad Express – Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has announced that from tomorrow, visiting hours at the country’s hospitals will be limited.
At a news conference Saturday afternoon, the minister said that the existing situation of two visiting hours will be changed to just one visiting hour sesssion between the hours of 4 pm and 6 pm.
The morning visiting hours have been suspended.
The minister said that just one visitor will be allowed per patient. He added that exceptions can be made at the discretion of the health professionals on shift at the time.
For paedeatric patients, just to parents and/or legal guardian will be allowed to visit.
“You can stay with your children for 24 hours but only parents and legal guardians will be allowed to visit our sick children,” the Minister said.
The minister said that response teams are already in place at Caura and Couva Hospitals and that the Arima facility which is opening next month, will also give additional capacity.
“From tomorrow, each of our major hospitals will have an area set up for the triaging of persons,” he said.
This will include the Port-of-Spain, Eric Williams, Sangre Grande and San Fernando hospitals.
He also called on citizens to “ignore social media”.
“Social media is causing more damage than coronavirus at this point in time,” he said.
Meanwhile, Thoracic Medical Director at the Caura Hospital, Dr Michelle Trotman said that the two confirmed patients are currently at the Couva and Caura hospitals.
She said the person at the Caura hospital has been recovering well and should recover in around 21 days.
She said that the patient at Couva is critically ill but said “the good news is that compared (sic) yesterday to today, that patient even though critically ill, is improving.”
National Security Minister said he had cause yesterday to stop a plane from coming to T&T and also to stop a person from boarding a flight as well.
He said security officials had to intervene when a person who was attempting to board a flight was stopped. He said the person did not opt to go into self-quarantine and therefore had to be taken into official quarantine.