The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) says it will be monitoring persons who have tested positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and confined to quarantine at home amid reports that they have not been adhering to the protocols to remain indoors.
Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said that the TTPS, through the 85 Emergency Response Patrol (ERP) vehicles and other patrols in all nine Divisions, will be involved in the stepped-up patrols.
Trinidad and Tobago has 3,434 positive cases of the virus with 1,905 being active. The health authorities said that 2,061 patients have been home isolated under the continuous monitoring of the respective County Medical Officer Health (CMOH) offices. This does not include those who are in quarantine awaiting results, having been a primary or secondary contact.
Griffith said that it has come to the attention of the TTPS that persons who have tested positive for the virus and placed in home quarantine, have been breaking the Public Health Ordinance Regulations.
He said there were reports of COVID-19 positive patients leaving their homes and going out, either to supermarkets, pharmacies, shops, gas stations, and restaurants. He said there are also reports that some of these patients have been entertaining family and friends at their homes, although they were advised to stay in isolation.
Griffith noted that it is an offence under the Quarantine Act to break quarantine and this carries a fine of TT$6,000 (One TT dollar=US$0.16 cents) or six months in prison. He said that several persons have already been charged with breaching the Quarantine Act.
Griffith said that as a result of the reports received, the TTPS will monitor the homes of the patients, based on the listing providing by the Ministry of Health and that the ERP officers will pay close attention to these patients in all nine Police Divisions.
“The police officers will visit the homes. The patient will come out with his/her mask, identify himself/herself, and then go back indoors. The officers will not be going into the homes,” Griffith said, adding that this initiative is meant to curtail community spread.
CMC
