by Linda Straker
- 3 male Trinidadians tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Trinidad
- Contact tracing has resulted in 154 persons receiving rapid tests
- Significant number from a manufacturer of non-alcoholic beverages
Contact tracing related to the 3 people who left Grenada on Wednesday and tested positive for Covid-19 on arrival in Trinidad, have so far resulted in 154 people at different locations receiving rapid tests.
“All have so far tested negative and the health officials are currently awaiting results of PCR samples,” said a health official who confirmed that the 3 are males who came to Grenada to engage in specialised work for different companies.
The health official confirmed that of the 154 people, a significant number is from a company which manufactures non-alcoholic beverages. That company has been closed since Thursday, and workers have informed close friends and family that the closure was to ensure everyone at the company was tested for Covid-19.
The reopening will depend on the result of the PCR samples, and because of the negative rapid test results, currently none of the households has been placed under quarantine.
The 3 individuals were among 76 Trinidadians repatriated via a Caribbean Airlines flight — 25 were students. Trinidad’s Covid-19 health protocol requires that all people entering Trinidad be tested and quarantined for a minimum of 14 days.
The 3 individuals were in Grenada since March, and 2 of them were accompanied by their spouses who have so far tested negative. Both Grenada and Trinidad are awaiting the result of further testing which is expected to be known by Monday, 20 July.
Grenada has recorded 23 laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases since March when the first case was announced. There was one asymptomatic person among the 23. To date, there are no deaths and all persons are declared as medically recovered. However, Health Minister, Nickolas Steele, has often informed the public that there can be asymptomatic persons in the public.
There is a continuous education campaign encouraging persons who have flu-like symptoms to get medical attention and as part of measures to reduce and contain the spread, it’s now mandatory for Grenadians to wear a face mask or an appropriate face-covering whenever in public.
The Emergency Powers Regulations also mandates that whenever any person is in the public there should be engaging in social/physical distancing and social activities should not be more than 20. The only exceptions are wedding and funeral which provides for 50 persons to attend.
Maybe I’m missing something but in an ideal world wouldn’t everybody test positive for antibodies? If a vaccine does get developed successfully then isn’t the point of it to get the body to make antibodies? OK, we don’t know when these 3 generated the antibodies but what if that was before they came into Grenada? I understand PCR detects if the virus is present which seems a lot more robust. We have to wait and see what PCR results Trinidad get. Let’s hope the rapid tests they are using arent made in China and giving false results!
So far I’ve been very supportive of Grenada’s covid-19 protocol, but everyone entering should have been tested. Do not let your guards down. The two week testing results have been very interesting covid-19 is sneaky and deceptive. Everyone entering in march should have been tested.
Isn’t it alarming that, if those three Trinidadians males hadn’t tested positive in Trinidad, we in Grenada would have continued congratulating ourselves that we were virus-free? Shouldn’t we have known better what our actual situation is? Shouldn’t we be exerting every effort to make sure that we do know now? What efforts should we be making?
How many asymptomatic persons are there in Grenada? Who are they? Is anyone immune? Would widespread antibody testing give an answer? Isn’t an answer necessary? Has the virus mutated? How old were the three affected Trinidadian males? Let’s hope there isn’t a cluster at the beverage company?