So, as you heard just now Minister Chebat is singing from the same public health hymn sheet that Dr. Marvin Manzanero basically wrote. But, Manzanero can't sing it for himself right now, because he's at home sick with COVID 19.
The Ministry seems to have used the opportunity of his illness to name a new acting Director of Health Services for a three month period. Dr Melissa Diaz is well known in the public health system - but is she being brought in to permanently replace Dr. Manzanero. The Minister was non comital on this today:
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"So, Dr. Manzanero as you all know is ill. It's been made public and he is at home recovering. That's the position with him. Part of our plan is the institution of a national Covid response team and as you all know I took over this ministry a little bit less than a month ago and when I did so we found that the search plans and the plans that they had to confront this pandemic were either not being implemented or there were insufficient and so we found ourselves having to run, we found ourselves meeting increasing numbers of positive cases. We found a country with increasing number of deaths and so we've had to act
drastically and dramatically. We have brought in Dr. Melissa Diaz Musa to be our focal point and to lead that task force and she is going to be acting as the DHS for the time being."
Reporter
"What's going to happen when Dr. Manzanero returns?"
Hon. Michel Chebat, Minister of Health and Wellness
"Dr. Manzanero and I are in discussions to see where he feels he is best placed within the ministry."
