As the coronavirus (Covid-19) continues to impact a growing number of countries around the world, Prime Minister, Dr the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, has reiterated that the disease is not present in Grenada.
Speaking publicly Tuesday, Dr Mitchell said, “We have no coronavirus (Covid-19) in our country at this point in time. God help us that we continue to have none of it.”
Having just attended the 31st Inter-Sessional Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government where the coronavirus outbreak was a major talking point, Dr Mitchell said, “the entire Caribbean region reported that it is not present in any of the islands. Remember, if there is one incident of the virus in any country, they say the Caribbean and we can all get hurt.”
According to the communique coming out of the recent Caricom meeting, leaders “recognised that the risk of transmission of the virus in the region remains relatively low but that an outbreak could reverse economic gains of Caricom States.”
The continuing spread of the disease remains a concern and Dr Mitchell said, “This is an issue that we have to be prepared for in every respect, not just Grenada, but all countries in the Caribbean. At the recent Inter-Sessional Meeting of Caricom Heads of Government, this was an issue of concern for all leaders, particularly as it relates to misinformation.”
He added, “Sometimes information shared gives the impression that we have the coronavirus (Covid-19) around us already, causing persons to be overly sceptical about people of Chinese origin. When we have issues like that, we do not need propaganda or misinformation because it affects every single one of us. There are some issues that should not divide us. There are enough issues for us to have differences on and to score points one way or the other, but there are others, like health issues that we should all be on one platform.”
The Prime Minister urged persons to desist from spreading false information and he reiterated comments made earlier this month at independence celebrations about working together to face challenges. He said, “We have to be careful, you never know what will meet us tomorrow. Our country has faced problems in the past and we had friends regionally and internationally who supported us.”
The Ministry of Health and the Grenada Airports Authority continue to strictly enforce mandatory screening and other emergency protocols to help mitigate against the potential spread of the disease.
As of 26 February 2020, the World Health Organisation is reporting the presence of Covid-19 in 37 countries, with more than 81,000 cases recorded around the world.
Office of the Prime Minister
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Continued airline flights from China into Grenada pose a concern. Only a matter of time with this policy.