Candid questions regarding the opening of businesses and borders can be found below.
The
scientific terms are symptomatic, pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic.
In layman’s terms, these are three ways a person can become infected from
someone with COVID-19. As piecemeal permission is being granted for the
re-opening of businesses and eventually our borders, Grenadians really need to
exercise caution. We do not have the all-clear for normalcy – not by a long
shot. The fact remains, COVID-19 has killed more people globally in a shorter
span of time than the flu. The main reasons are differences in incubation
period, modes of transmission, rapid deaths, and plenty of unknowns due to
insufficient time to study the virus.
Three ways get COVID-19: Without taking the necessary precautions, such
as wearing protective gear, hand washing, cleaning frequently touched
surfaces, avoid touching one’s face with unclean hands and exercising physical
distancing (6 feet), you can get the virus through contact with the following
persons:
- Symptomatic: You can contract the virus from someone exhibiting symptoms.
- Pre-Symptomatic: You can also get it from an infected person, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) says the time between a person is exposed and when they first exhibit symptoms.
- Asymptomatic: You can also get it from someone who has it and is not showing any symptoms at all.
The problem with the latter, there has not been enough time to
research how long they remain asymptomatic. So, for this mode of transmission
we are truly operating blindly.
Johns
Hopkins University & Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center
reported that as of May 24, 2020 there have been 345, 036 global deaths caused
by COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 290,000 to 650,000 people
die of flu-related causes every year worldwide. This means from approximately
December 2019 to May 2020 - roughly five months, COVID-19’s death record
is already at 50%.
In
Grenada, from March until relative recently, everything came to a screeching
halt. We needed to slow the opportunities for transmissions, as the health care
system could not handle sudden mass illnesses. Who could forget the day Hon.
Minister Nicolas Steele blew a complete gasket, when many at the beginning of
this saga seemed flippant at the Ministry of Health’s warnings? That evening he
sent us all to our rooms for two weeks – in the first instance. A pin could
drop in Grenada and someone could hear it.
The
strategy worked, although it was tough on many: efforts to balance shopping
days; the pushing and shoving; the panic buying; walking with groceries on your
back, for those that did not have transportation; and not able to access cash
for several weeks. Nationals stuck at sea were eventually permitted to return
home, after going through mandatory pre-cautions. You name it we went through
the trial, errors and successes while leaning on ‘the science’. Grenadians
emerged with zero deaths, to date. Then, smiles started to fade rapidly
because people were suffering economic hardship. For many their mantra is, “If
I do not work, I cannot eat.” The fact is, no nation can remain cut off from
the world indefinitely, but opening our borders means people are potentially
bringing their germs and viruses with them.
1.
What
will be the screening process for travelers entering and leaving Grenada?
2. What plans are in place to protect Grenadians from being used as guinea pigs for vaccine clinical trials?
3.
After
borders are opened and should a second wave of cases hit our shores:
a.
Will the shutdown measures be
repeated?
b.
What will be the phases?
4.
St.
George’s University(SGU) says they will release a statement, however:
a.
What will the Grenadian
employees be required to do to remain employed – as they interact with the
students?
b.
What will the students be required
to do, to protect employees?
5.
Outside
of SGU:
a.
What measures will be put in
place to protect staffers who may lose their jobs after voicing concerns about
safety in the workplace?
b.
Can a hotline number be
developed for employees to safely report when being forced to work outside of
permitted hours, or their jobs being threatened for voicing concerns?
6.
What
observations-measures have been put in place to ensure businesses, schools and
other entities follow the health and safety regulations?
7.
If
parents are uncomfortable returning their child to school:
a.
Will there be consequences for
non-compliance?
b.
What systems will be put in
place for cramped classrooms?
c.
If a parent chooses to Home
School, will that be permitted?
8.
What
measures will be put in place to protect teachers from students and vice versa?
9.
Other
countries besides China are developing vaccines:
a.
What is the typical process for
accepting and issuing vaccines?
b.
How long will it take for the
approval process?
c.
Should Grenadians have concerns
about the source of the vaccine will that be considered?
d.
Could a Grenadian be given the
choice to accept or decline a vaccine based on source?
e.
Will the source of the vaccine
be disclosed?
10.
Testing:
a.
Are there plans to test more
than 1% of the population?
b.
The tests that are being used,
which country sourced them?
11.
Bus
drivers:
a.
Will the bus drivers be
permitted to adjust their prices during this limited state of emergency?
b.
How will the sanitization of
buses be monitored as they enter the terminal after trips?
It will
be interesting to see if these questions are addressed. Equally interesting
would be to find out what other questions citizens have at this time, and how
can they get answers. During press briefings journalists can ask questions, but
citizens have questions also.
