(Trinidad Guardian) Trinidad and Tobago is in the midst of a third wave of COVID-19 infections, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said yesterday.
Speaking at the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 media briefing Deyalsingh explained that epidemiologists have deemed the rising COVID infections and deaths as a third wave of the pandemic since the rolling seven-day average of cases is now over 500-plus.
T&T experienced its first wave of COVID-19 infections in August/September 2020, followed by a second wave in June/July 2021.
Yesterday, the country recorded ten additional deaths and 404 new COVID cases. This took the active cases to 8,695, with hospitalisations at a record high of 539 patients seeking care.
Deyalsingh said as part of his ministry’s effort to better manage this latest wave as the Delta variant continues to circulate, the ministry will be coordinating the role the five Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) will play in the deployment of resources and personnel as the demand for treatment increases.
Deyalsingh again encouraged citizens aged 12 and over to get vaccinated.
He said while vaccination remains voluntary, “in this current wave, it is now imperative that even for the vaccinated, that the three Ws also apply.”
“Don’t let your guard down, even if you are vaccinated at this time,” Deyalsingh said.
Reminding people to wash hands, wear masks and watch their distance, he said with the Christmas festivities afoot, citizens should “avoid social gatherings as much as humanly possible.”
For the unvaccinated, he had these words of advice: “It now means without the extra level of protection that a vaccine gives you, it means that you have to be doubly and more stringent in your hand-washing, masking, your social distancing. It means you literally have to be only outside for really important tasks like working, going to the pharmacy, going to the grocery, because you are unvaccinated.”
He added, “That is a choice you have made and we understand that, we respect it.
“We may not agree with it but we respect it.”
Saying private hospitals have not been debarred from treating COVID-19 patients, the Minister added, “Home treatment for COVID is not recommended at this point in time.”