7 News Belize

Re-Agent Getting A Re-up
posted (April 23, 2020)

And, in one more small aside from today’s statement by the Prime Minister, he discussed the state of testing supplies - more of which are on the way.  We have been hearing consistent reports that a critical component, known as a “re-agentâ€￾ was running low.  We note also that 187 tests were done in the week from April 15th to the 22nd, but we saw that testing kind of tapers off between the 17th and the 22nd, with only 82 tests being done.  

Now, it may be that the Ministry has no one else in terms of close contacts or flu patients to test - as the Director of Health Service has alluded to - but the prime minister made it seem that they were not at the “full scopeâ€￾ of testing:

Rt.Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Also, we expect this Saturday out of Miami a resupply of reagents that will enable us to proceed with the full scope of necessary testing."

This evening the Director of Health Services told us that the Ministry has gotten delivery of 2,500’ reactions - slash - tests from PAHO.  But he says, they have to outsource the reagents for these and - as the PM said - those are due on Saturday. He adds that all Caribbean countries are in the same boat with having to outsource re-agents.  

So, to go over the current situation: there are now 5 fully recovered COVID patients, leaving 11 active cases, none of whom are hospitalised. 

The stricter rules of the lockdown are being released - which is basically the removal of the full Sunday lockdown and the opening of bus transport for essential workers only.  

But that doesn’t mean things return to business as usual; far from it.  Yes, government offices will re-open, and some businesses will also be allowed to open during limited hours, but the national curfew is expected to remain, along with strict social distance laws. 

More will be known at 1:00 pm tomorrow when the Attorney General appears on “Ask The Expertsâ€￾.

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