Trinidad: Daughter of critically-ill COVID-19 patient calls for unity

With tears rolling down her cheeks, the daughter of one of the patients diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus and warded in a critical condition at the Couva Hospital fell to her knees on the shoulder of the highway and prayed for her father to pull through on Saturday.
The woman, who did not give her name or that of her father, who is 66 years, said he was one of the first five of confirmed cases. She said her father was still in a critical condition but “with small improvements.”
The woman said she strongly believed her father contracted the virus either while at the Piarco International Airport or in Trinidad but not while he was on vacation abroad.
“Where he went, the people were in quarantine and none of them have any signs of the flu, cold of any sort. Their quarantine actually ended yesterday (Friday), when he was proven positive, they have been in quarantine and they are now in the clear. It shows that he got it either from the airport here or within Trinidad.”
The woman, who came in from Canada, said she travelled into Trinidad when she heard her father was ill. However, she said she will have to leave Trinidad sad, as she is flying out today (Sunday), before the total shutdown of all international flights, because she has to return to her children in Canada.
“My father would have wanted me to go back to my children,” she said.
Asked if all the persons who were in contact with her father were in quarantine, the woman said yes.
“Other family members who were in contact are self-quarantined since the last day he spent with them. So far they are fine. Everybody who was in contact with him, we know they’re quarantined because the ministry has been contacting them,” she said.
“We are in prayer and standing together. I don’t live here, I live abroad. I came when I heard he was ill not knowing he was positive.
“I did not go to my home so I have not seen my mother and brother yet. It is a trying time all around for us. We are just keeping each other strong and keeping hopeful that one day this will soon pass.”
Asked if she was satisfied with how the authorities are dealing with the COVID-19 situation and her father’s care, she replied: “I am not satisfied but I know it’s a tedious situation. But we cannot criticise anybody because that is not my expertise. They are doing what they can do now.
“In my opinion, it should’ve been done before Carnival. Carnival could have waited. The day my father tested positive was just 16 days after Carnival ended. That doesn’t mean he got it when he went abroad. Abroad is out of the picture. Where he went has zero cases to this date. I even spoke to people from that country and there are still no cases there.”
She added, “We know for sure still that the medical fraternity is doing everything that they can to help and we are very pleased with the response we are getting from the doctors and also everyone else in the ministry has been calling my other family who is in quarantine because of contact with my dad. Daily contact, so our system is working for us and we just have to not lose hope and stick together.”
The woman sent out a message to the people of T&T, saying, “Let’s all behave as though we all have it.
“If we behave that way and have that mindset, we will keep to ourselves and eradicate this terror that is causing so much despair. It is not only causing illness, but I also heard of a story where a lady and her mother in quarantine, apart from each other and because it has been over a week, the old lady has dementia and she forgot her daughter. Apart from illnesses, it’s causing other forms of despair in everyone,” the woman said.
“Now is a time for us to come together as a people. Forget race, politics, everything and join together to help mankind and the world. Positive energy can do anything in whatever form or fashion we live in.”
(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN)