Gov't had no choice but to impose lockdown days, says Bailey

 

Professor of Public Health Alverston Bailey says with Jamaica in an extreme state of community spread of COVID-19, the Government had little option but to restrict movement with the lockdown days.

 

Jamaica is in the second day of seven days of lockdown imposed over three weeks.

 

Professor Bailey says the lockdown days will work to reduce the COVID-19 infection rate. But he warned that "if this fails to bring us down to at least 15 per cent, we'll have to progressively increase the lockdown until, God forbid, we'll have to lock down the whole country."  

 

Professor Bailey argued that vaccination is the best option outside of lockdowns. He said incentives, such as face-to-face class, have been working to bring out parents and students to get vaccinated.

 

However, he suggested legislation might have to be implemented for those who are still "uncooperative", especially "health care workers, caregivers, teachers, BPO workers, taxi and bus operators, the security forces, civil servants and bankers."  

 

He contended that the most effective method of encouraging vaccination is implementing a "test at your expense" policy.

 

 

 

Professor Bailey has also supported the call by the Jamaica Medical Doctors' Association for the Ministry of Health to employ additional doctors to ease the stress on its members.

 

He does not believe that the support systems for hospitals and health care workers are sufficient.

 

"We need to open up the National Arena...We need to put in more field hospitals...We need to put mobile oxygen concentrations in all hospitals...We need more PPE and we need more trained health care workers. This is not the time to lay off doctors. And why don't ask GPs (general practitioners) to help? There are thousands of GPs across Jamaica who can help," he recommended. 

 

Professor Bailey was speaking Monday on TVJ's Smile Jamaica programme.