Virus prep bill a moving target –Tufton

Damion Mitchell, Integration Editor

There is no price tag yet for Jamaica’s preparation for the deadly novel coronavirus, but Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton says that based on the history in other countries, technocrats have been modelling the extent to which the Government will need to allocate medical and other resources should an outbreak hit Jamaica.

The technocrats will be part of talks today when the National Disaster Committee headed by Prime Minster Andrew Holness meets to assess Jamaica’s preparation and approve the country’s response plan.

In the past few days, there has been increasing anxiety about COVID-19 since it was discovered in the Caribbean countries of St Martin, St Barts, and the Dominican Republic.

At the same time, the number of cases in the United States has now increased to close to 200, including nine deaths, with Washington, California, and Florida among the states that have reported its emergence.

Tufton concedes that there is not enough material in storage should the coronavirus reach Jamaica but said that a protocol was in place to procure more items with the support of the Pan American Health Organization.

WATCH: What if the Coronavirus hits Jamaica?

“The extent of the need is a function of the extent of a possible outbreak,” Tufton told The Gleaner in an interview on Tuesday.

But what should Jamaicans expect should the virus reach the island? The health minister said the plan is being refined but noted that there could be restrictions on public gatherings, for example.

The army would also be called on to help in the response.

“We have an idea, or at least a sense, of how we think the virus, if it were to come here, would impact us, and, therefore, what we would need in terms of hospital beds, isolation areas, quarantine facilities, and so on,” the health minister said.

Tufton said that an entire ward – and even a hospital – may be vacated for isolation to treat coronavirus patients only.

In the meantime, Tufton has responded to concerns by public-health nurses that they have not been adequately equipped to respond to suspected cases, particularly on cruise ships.

The minister said he is “prepared” to listen to all concerns and would be visiting the ports this week to speak with front-line staff.