Health officials have placed another Grenadian in quarantine, bringing to 4, the total number of Grenadians quarantined in the past week.
The latest traveller, identified as a student, left mainland China and landed at the Maurice Bishop International Airport (MBIA), just after 9 pm on Saturday. On arrival, Ministry of Health personnel, port-health, immigration and airport officials acted swiftly to isolate the individual from the general population at the arrival area.
In keeping with established protocols, as soon as the aircraft landed, it was boarded by a port-health officer, who informed the flight’s captain of the concern. The student was screened and interviewed by medical personnel.
A review of the student’s travel documents by immigration officials verified that the individual left mainland China on 7 February 2020, hence the execution of the mandatory quarantine order on arrival in Grenada.
Faced with a rising number of affected persons, China has enforced strict TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS, particularly from the area identified as the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak, to help contain the spread of the disease.
The Government of Grenada has also taken proactive steps to restrict travel to the country by persons who were at risk of exposure to the virus within the last 14 days.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has since declared the Coronavirus outbreak, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
Meanwhile, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Francis Martin explained that the measures currently being implemented by the Ministry of Health, are intended to safeguard the best health interest of all Grenadians. The Ministry of Health commends all frontline personnel engaged in this national public health response, and reiterates its fullest support for them.
Health authorities are also reminding the general public, that while the risk is still low, they should continue to exercise caution and practice proper hygiene.
GIS
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Dear Sir/Madam,
As citizens of Grenada we are interested in getting answers to the following questions. Please don’t fob us off with waffles.:
Who are the people that travelled on the same flight with the latest quarantined student? Where are they? Where was the plane expected final destination?
Were safety measures taken to ensure that contact with the other passengers on the same flight with the quarantined student was minimized or prevented.?
Were they all allowed to freely depart from the aircraft and mingle with others as well as with their families. What happens next if that young man was found to be infected by the coronavirus? Can his contacts from the flight be found?
HELP
PRINCESS
So what’s about the passengers who were in close contact with that student.
The person who was sitting right next to them in the flight to Grenada ??
1. China isn’t the only place where the Corona virus exists. Strict measures should have already been in place to assess all passengers coming from all flights, regional and international. Quarantining only on the basis that the individual is coming from the epicenter of the virus is foolish. In the meantime “…China has *enforced* strict TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS…”, Grenada- “…taken proactive steps…” (NOW Grenada, 2020), whatever that means.
2. It’s nonsensical to quarantine only one individual out of a whole plane of passengers. Then what was the point of the screening when the whole plane, crew and remaining passengers, went free. Meanwhile, “The Government of Grenada has also taken proactive steps to restrict travel to the country by persons who were at risk of exposure to the virus within the last 14 days”(NOW Grenada, 2020).
3. The protective gear of the health officials and co. is appalling. Plastic bag and a mask, is this a joke?
4. Grenadians’ hope- “…the measures currently being implemented by the Ministry of Health, are *intended* to safeguard the best health interest of all Grenadians.” The intent is greatly appreciated.
5. Health authorities of Grenada claim that the risk is still low. Notwithstanding that there are 40,553 Coronavirus cases worldwide and
deaths are in the hundreds across China; deaths surpass SARS outbreak. 50 million on lock down in China, numbers keep growing. What’s the population of Grenada again?
The attempt not to cause panic is understandable, but obscuring the truth won’t help either.
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-09/coronavirus-death-toll-surpasses-sars/11947010?pfmredir=sm