Last Updated on March 17, 2020, 7:00 AM AST by Anthony Morris
The Health Minister of Dominica, Dr Irving McIntyre, has attempted to suppress the rumours that there are cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the island which were found to be positive. He said that these rumours are fake and this is not the case.
However, a family has been placed in isolation as a precautionary measure.
The said family was kept in isolation after they came from a cruise. As a matter of fact, the members of the family have tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
Since some days, rumours have been spreading in Dominica that there were positive cases of the coronavirus COVID-19 on the island. Also, the rumours raised allegations against the Government saying that the Government was hiding information regarding the cases from the general public.
The matter rose to its peak on Sunday afternoon when a rumour spread across the country that a positive case of the coronavirus was entering Dominica through ferry.
After the rumour spread, Social media got flooded with photos and videos of an ambulance parked at the Bay Front in Roseau. Also, a person in a hazmat suit spraying a chemical was shown in the pictures. Along with this, the pictures were from the Princess Margaret Hospital.
By way of a statement given on Sunday, Dr McIntyre slashed the credibility of the rumours and said that Dominica was free of the virus and he is saying so after numerous tests have been done.
He stated that Dominica continues to be one of the few Caribbean islands that do not have any case of coronavirus.
He explained that a person must satisfy the criteria as outlined in the case definitions by the World Health Organization to carry on any tests.
He said that various tests were done in Dominica and that all the tests done so far have been negative. He added that at present, there is no case of coronavirus in Dominica.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
