Health Ministry Urges Attentiveness on Corona Virus Related Reports

The Ministry of Health is advising residents to remain attentive to news reports as new information emerges on the Novel Corona Virus, a respiratory illness which has now killed 17 people and infected hundreds more around the world.

A team from the Ministry of Health and Social Services led by Director of Primary Health Care; Dr. Dorothea Hazel – Blake joined a virtual meeting of regional stakeholders lead by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to determine the Caribbean’s risk and response.

The consensus from the meeting is that the risk of the infection reaching the Caribbean region is low.

However, the Ministry of Health and Social Services says it remains alert and are presently actively preparing should the disease reach our shores.

Some of the preparedness measures being put in place include reviewing and updating the existing protocols for the management of respiratory illnesses to ensure that the Ministry has the capacity to effectively diagnose and treat should the need arise.

Dr. Hazel-Blake is urging people to practice good hygiene such as frequent handwashing with soap and water and covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing as any respiratory virus can be spread by droplets from an infected person.