IS THE GOVERNMENT DOING A GOOD JOB IN FIGHTING THE PANDEMIC?

The Ministry of Health and the Government seem to be saying that they are doing a good job with this coronavirus business. Certainly, that is the impression that I have from all of their pronouncements from the Prime Minister on down. But are they really? Are they handling this pandemic in a way that is beneficial to the country as a whole and which ought to give us the reasonable confidence that everything that ought to be done is in fact being done?

Let's start with the numbers. The last set that I saw from the Ministry of Health said that some 736 persons had been screened, some 103 persons had tested positive and there had been 6 deaths. 
So? What exactly do those numbers mean? As I read them they seem to be saying that less than 800 people have been screened and 'screened' doesn't mean tested.  Or does it? Let's assume that is what it means. So, a little less than 800 people have been screened and "only" a little more than 100 people have been found to be positive. Put another way, about one in seven people tested have been found to be positive.

But (and you knew there was going to be a "but", didn't you?) Trinidad & Tobago has a population of about 1.3 million people. So, if less than 800 people out of 1.3 million have been tested it kind of puts the "kibosh" on it, doesn't it? You don't think so? Well, the nearest country I could find with reported figures on testing that had a similar population to us was Bahrain. They have a population of some 1.7 million people and guess how many people they have tested? Almost 5,000!! And they have found a little less than 800 people out of those 5,000 to have tested positive for the virus!

You don't have to be a mathematical genius to work out that Bahrain's response as regards testing is way better than ours. So? Why have we tested so few people? Why was there no screening for the virus of incoming passengers before Carnival? Did Minister Deyalsingh lie to us when he said that incoming passengers would be screened? (He said that on 31st January.) Or was he lied to by staff in his Ministry? Because there was NO screening done before or after Carnival ... at least nobody that I have spoken with who came into the country since 31st January noticed any screening taking place. And if our screening/testing is inadequate what does that mean in our battle to fight this virus?

And while we're at it, perhaps now would be a good time for the Minister to explain the difference between screening and testing ... if there is one. Or are the terms interchangeable? In any case, shouldn't we be doing A LOT more testing?

The whole country is virtually shut down. We can't continue like this indefinitely. I certainly don't blame the Government for the virus coming here. That was inevitable. But I am beginning to get very worried that they are not doing everything that they should be doing in fighting to get it under control. Reports are coming out of gross incompetence at the hospitals which the main stream media seems to be ignoring. Now, either these reports are true or they are not. If they are, then the main stream media has a duty that borders on the sacred to tell us. And if the reports are gross exaggerations or are simply not true then their duty is also crystal clear.  Certainly, their reporting on our Government's handling of the virus can't hold a candle to the reporting by the main stream media in the big countries. We, the public, deserve to be told the raw unvarnished truth ... and we don't seem to be getting it from anywhere? Why?

P.S. Still think that the Government is doing a good job?  Why do you think so?