TRINIDAD and Tobago reached a grim and unwanted record of nine deaths in one day from the covid19 virus.
The previous record of eight deaths was recorded last Sunday. These nine fatalities, revealed in the Ministry of Health’s daily national covid19 updates, pushes the death toll for May to 55, as of Tuesday, and the country’s overall death toll to 224.
The release also stated that 348 new infections were recorded on Tuesday, the third highest figure in a 24-hour reporting cycle for this country, with the second highest being 399, recorded on May 5, and the record highest being 402, recorded last Saturday.
The ministry stated that among the latest deaths were three elderly men, three elderly women and one middle-aged woman with comorbidities. The last two were a middle-aged man and woman who did not have any comorbidities.
The total active positive cases as of Tuesday afternoon stood at 4,078 and there was also 119 new recovered patients, bringing the total number to 9,500.
As of Tuesday, 138 people were warded at the Couva Multitraining facility with 15 in the Intensive Care Unit and 48 in the High Dependency Unit.
HERD IMMUNITY BY YEAR END...IF
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the Opposition has a major role to play in how soon TT can achieve herd immunity against the covid19 virus. He said if Opposition members stop spreading propaganda about the vaccines, herd immunity could happen by the end of the year.
He was responding to urgent questions in the Senate on Tuesday morning.
Opposition senator Wade Mark asked, “Given the ongoing spike in the number of positive covid19 cases and this country’s goal of controlling the virus through herd immunity, what is the time frame within which same will be achieved?”
Deyalsingh reminded everyone herd immunity requires 60-70 per cent of a country’s population to be vaccinated.
“That means about 600,000-700,000 persons. I took a note to Cabinet to do just that.”
But he said there are three variables required to achieve this.
“One – availability of vaccines, which we must have in commercial quantities – large quantities that we are currently working on to good effect.
“Two – public confidence in the vaccines.
“And three – we need to get the UNC to stop undermining the government’s vaccination plan. That is the most important component to reach herd immunity. If the UNC, as led by the honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her spokespersons, keeps on undermining faith in the vaccines, we will not achieve it.
“So this is where we all need to come together again and provide leadership. However, if the Opposition works with us, we can administer 700,000 vaccines in this country to achieve herd immunity in about six to seven months.”
Mark muttered, “I won’t respond to that nonsense.”
‘STOP THE THEATRICS’
Over the weekend, Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal said government was using the public as “guinea pigs” for the Sinopharm vaccine from China. The Chinese Government has donated 100,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to TT and Finance
