Guy says Gov’t putting society at risk

July 13, 2020
Dr Morais Guy, opposition spokesperson on health.
Dr Morais Guy, opposition spokesperson on health.

Opposition spokesman on health, Dr Morais Guy, says the Government is failing to properly manage the COVID-19 testing protocol at the nation's ports of entry and putting the safety of the society at risk.

Guy said there are widespread reports of persons who have taken the COVID-19 test upon arrival in the country but are yet to receive follow-up contact from the Ministry of Health, despite providing all the relevant information. Guy said, too, the more than a two-week backlog of test results for persons entering the country is exceptionally troubling because many of the persons have been in contact with locals and have since left Jamaica without knowing their status.

"From the beginning, we were told that there was a limited number of kits available; so, to re-open the borders with the expectation of testing everyone was foolhardy," Guy said.

He said that the ministry's decision to revert to testing only persons with symptoms will not offer much protection to the society as persons who are carrying the virus and are asymptomatic still pose a threat.

"We need persons to demonstrate that they are not carriers of the coronavirus before they enter our country and nothing else is acceptable," Guy said.

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