Bequia this Week - 8th May - 14th May 2020

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3 PagesNATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION (NEMO)MINISTRY OF NATIONAL SECURITYST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINESWEST INDIESTel: 784-456-2975, Fax: 784-457-1691, Email: nemosvgeoc@gmail.com or nemosvg@gov.vc___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________PRESS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEApril 26, 2020Contact: Chief Medical Officer, ChairHealth Services SubcommitteeNational Emergency CommitteeKingstown, St. Vincent and the GrenadinesHEALTH SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEE ADVISORY: SAFE USE OF FACECOVERINGS - MASKSThe Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on Friday April 24, 2020, issuednew guidance on the use of face masks in the context of COVID-19 Pandemic. Thefollowing is a summary of that guidance:Summary:On 11 March 2020, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)declared the outbreak of a novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19 as a pandemic. Asof April 22, there are 9098 cases in 33 countries/territories (including 24 CARPHAMember States), in the Caribbean Region. The risk of further importation of casesto the rest of the Caribbean remains Very High. (1)There is widespread debate on the need for community members to wear masks as ameans of personal protection against COVID-19 infection. Many countries andleaders globally and in the Caribbean are adopting the widespread use ofnonmedical masks as a strategy to reduce community transmission. This has been1
coupled with concerns that broad use of masks could cause a run on the kind ofmasks that health care workers desperately need, as the supply chain for PPE hasbeen disrupted, causing shortages worldwide.The use of personal protective equipment such as medical (surgical) masks andrespirators within the health care and home care settings, as well as during thehandling of cargo has been outlined by the WHO in its updated guidance documenton the rational use of personal protective equipment. (2)According to WHO guidance, dated April 6, 2020, the use of medical masks in thecommunity may create a false sense of security, with neglect of other essentialmeasures, such as hand hygiene practices and physical distancing, and may lead totouching the face under the masks and under the eyes. Incorrect use of medicalmasks results in unnecessary costs.The WHO indicated there is currently no evidence that wearing a mask (whethermedical or other types) by healthy persons in the wider community has any value inpreventing respiratory infections. (3)There have been few randomized, controlled studies which address the effectivenessof cloth masks in the prevention of respiratory infections. However, as part of theirresponse to COVID-19, some national health authorities have indicated thathomemade/cloth masks may be better than no protection.Whilst CARPHA acknowledges WHO’s guidance, in keeping with the mandate towear mask in public by many Caribbean countries, CARPHA advises its MemberStates to employ the use of the precautionary principle and encourages the correctuse of masks (cloth/homemade) by the general population while they are out inpublic.In view of this new guidance, the Health Services Subcommittee of the NationalEmergency Committee issues the following recommendations:1. Persons using any type of mask (medical mask, respirator or cloth) mustadhere to frequent and proper hand hygiene including washing hands withsoap and water for at least 20 seconds or cleansing hands with 70% alcoholhand sanitizer, the immediate disposal of single use masks and the correctcleaning methods for reusable masks.2
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Bequia this Week - 8th May - 14th May 2020

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