by Linda Straker
- International Health Regulations (IHR) committee of WHO informed about fled Covid-19 person
- Action of 58-year-old Covid-19 positive male described as dishonest, troubling, and reckless
- Troubling level of exposure between place of residence in Grenada and abode in United Kingdom
Dr Francis Martin, Acting Chief Medical Officer, said that Grenada has formally written to the International Health Regulations (IHR) committee of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to inform about the action taken by a person confirmed positive for Covid-19, to flee the country in complete violation of Grenada’s public health legislation.
“With regards to the person that fled, there is a process that countries go through and a formal report is sent to the International Health Regulations to handle through their channels.” Martin said this in response to enquiries about Grenada’s follow-up steps for the man who arrived on the island on 16 March, but left the state with his wife and child before receiving his result.
Health Minister, Nickolas Steele, described the action of the 58-year-old who was tested on Thursday, 26 March as troubling and reckless. The man returned to the UK via Canada. The positive result returned 48 hours later, and according to the minister, when the Ministry of Health tried contacting the individual who was told to quarantine himself while awaiting the result, he could not be located. That person will continue to be listed as among Grenada Covid-19 confirmations which currently count as 10.
“The results came back on Saturday, 28 March. As per procedure, health officials tried to reach him minutes later to inform that he had tested positive for Covid-19. As minister, I went ahead and announced the cases to the nation, as we have been doing. The individual was neither found on Saturday nor Sunday. On Sunday, health officials reported the matter to the police. It was later confirmed that the individual and his family left the island aboard Air Canada before he got his results on Saturday,” Steele said in an update to citizens on 1 April.
“This is troubling in many ways, especially the level of exposure between his place of residence in Grenada and his abode in the United Kingdom, where he says he is now. This is a level of dishonesty and recklessness, such that we do not need at this time. We cannot stress enough, lives are already at stake, without the added risks,” Steele said. “We have followed up with that individual to ascertain his movements and mode of movement on the day he left the country undetected. We are also following up with relevant law enforcement authorities, because in our view, this is cause for liability.”
According to Grenada’s Quarantine Act, any person who violates a quarantine request can be fined EC$10,000 while the Public Health Act provides for the police to provide assistance to ensure that any person with an infectious disease complies with legal regulations.
I maintain that Caribbean governments are weak. This example illustrates my point. The COVID situation cannot be managed under the same formal laws of a country as before. As the Russians have done, new laws must be made and passed. Caribbean governments are so weak and poorly led that those in power hardly recognize the need for new legislations.
Writing to WHO is a waste of time. Such step should be supported by other laws, which criminalised reckless behavior like that guy which exposed the flight people, other passengers, his family and who knows who else to the virus. Perhaps he is of the view he wont die alone, as we see portrayed in some movies. Russia legislated that people who knowingly and willfully spread the virus are guilty of offence and can be sentenced to death or life imprisonment. This is particularly so if one of the person you infect dies. Greneda government should stop breathing like frightened cattle and make laws with serious punishment to fight the virus and bring people in light.
There is no law now that prohibits the return of people who behaves like that guy to the island. There are no laws that make self quarantine mandatory. There are no laws against the deliberate spreading of COVID. WHO cannot make national laws. The government should take responsibility for what happened. Show leadership.
Hapless Caribbean governments.
I think the minister did an excellent job but I think this is just a lesson to us that dishonest lies in a lot of us that’s why.here in the Caribbean we have so many cases and rising because of stupidity and also to those prime minister like miss mottley.
Start and inpose a fine on those found on the street without due cause and
Look people, THERE ARE MILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF STUPID PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WHO NO MATTER WHAT RULES ARE IN PLACE THEY AINT GOING TO OBEY. THEY ALL LACK RESPECT AND COMMON SENSE. IF YOU ARE GOING TO CHARGE THAT MAN, THEN CHARGE A BILLION OTHERS. BUT NO ONE IS CHARGING PEOPLE FOR GIVING COLDS. LET ALONE WHY NOT CHARGE THE GOVERNMENT FOR ALLOWING PEOPLE TO GET ADDICTED TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND LOTTERY. THEY HAVENT STOPPED NONE OF THAT IN THIS QUARENTINE BULLSHIFT. NOT TO MENTION THIS IS MAN MADE GOVERNMENT CREATED VIRUS CUZ THE DEMOCRASSES COULDNT IMPEACH THE BEST PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND YES GOD IS ALLOWING IT CUZ HE IS TRYING TO GET THE STUPID IDIOTS TO WAKE UP… COMMON SENSE WILL TELL YOU THAT! HOW DO THEY HAVE TESTING FOR A VIRUS THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN THE WORLD??? HOW ARE THEY EXPERIMENTING WITH VACCINES ALREADY TO CURE THIS CRAP SO THEY SAY.. ITS GOVERNMENT POPULATION CONTROLED BS. ITS EFFECTING MILLIONS, WHICH TO THEM ITS ELIMINATING THE ONES THEY DONT HAVE TO PAY SOCIAL SECURITY OR RETIREMENT FOR NO MORE… I CANT GIVE ALL THE SECRETS AWAY SO ILL STOP HERE. AS FOR THIS GUY, YOU KNOW NOT EVERYONE IS RI H AND MAYBE HE DIDNT HAVE THE MOM EES Y TO PAY FOR HOTEL A FEW MORE DAYS, BUT IF HE RESPECTED LIFE IN ANY WAY THEN HE SHOULD HAVE WAITED 2 DAYS. HOW WOULD HE HAVE FELT IF TABLES WERE TURNED AND SOMEONE INFECTED HIS FAMILY MEMBER BY BEING STUPID AMD SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO THEM, IM SURE THE FEELINGS WOULDNT BE ANY DIFFERENT. Paying the government more money just cuz someone made a mistake aint going to fix crap and it ain’t going to change any damage if any has been done. Lets charge the stupid people and call it stupid tax.
Thank you Mr Steel for doing a great job.
Someone has to responsible for this in my opinion. SHAME on this man. SHAME. I feel so sad as the government is trying hard with the people of Grenada.
That man should be band from Grenada for 15 years or put in prison. In some countries this is a prison sentence now. I think the UK implemented that.
People please obey by the rules.
You are an idiot!
I agree,but if We shame & belittle him let’s shame & belittle EVERYONE OUTSIDE who isn’t suppose to be out when they are suppose to be inside so, they are also being reckless & endangering EVERYONE BC THEY MIGHT NOT SHOW SYMPTOMS…
SO STAY HOME!
Don’t let me catch all You snitches outside bc I will SHAME YOU The same way.
Have A Wonderful day
We are very comforted by the efforts of Mr Steele and all the people involved in this case. Let us hope this man is brought to justice and pays dearly for his reckless, thoughtless selfish act in endangering people from Grenada, Canada and the United Kingdom. As a fellow Brit, with many family and friends on the frontline of the health services I am deeply ashamed and saddened by this mans actions. I hope he is named and shamed soon and never allowed to visit the beautiful island of Grenada again.
It would be very helpful to know what flight this individual left on, and what seat # he occupied. Was it the AirCanada flight that left on March 26th ?
It would be nice if Grenada would provide information on the Air Canada flight date as to help others that might have been on the flight could be informed ASAP. Many days have passed and many people were exposed due to reckless and negligent actions by this person and the Government of Grenada. Poor communication to the ones this effects.
Great work Grenada. I compliment the government of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique and the medical officer of health and on the whole, those Grenadians who are following and adhering to the rules. I am a Grenadian in Canada but I keep up with news from my little island. We are all together in this and pray that we all get through it. I hope the idiot who fled the island id dealt with in a way that he will always remember.
STAY STRONG PEOPLE, GOD IS NOT A PUNISING GOD. IF FOR SOME REASON HE BROUGHT US TO IT, HE WILL CERTAINLY BRING US THROUGH IT. STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY.
We hope this man has now been placed under house arrest pending his recovery so he can be charged with reckless endangerment. If there isn’t a charge as such, for him a special case should be made. This person’s actions at the time left many of us speechless, when many of us are struggling with our own Island wide quarantine. Unbelievable. I dont think the rules could be any clearer. STAY INSIDE!!!