And while the vaccine drive is a multi-agency, multi-national effort with multiple levels of oversight, the COVID numbers are solely a product of the Ministry of Health. And, for the past 4 weeks or so, those numbers have really been trending down, on a couple days almost flatlining.
It's been welcome news, but, tonight, some doubt has been cast on the veracity of those numbers. Here's why: 7News has received credible reports that a statistically significant number of confirmed COVID cases in the Western region went un-reported. Our reports say this was just brought to the attention of the Ministry last week.
We asked the Minister about it today - and he sort of downplayed it:
Cherisse Halsall, reporter
"Can you discuss this - 50 (COVID) cases that went unreported in the Western region?"
Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"No, that is not so. That is not so. What happened is that the Epi unit conducts an audit frequently and the audit they conducted, they found that there were 25 cases that were not reported, and that has been corrected. And measures have been put in place so that the laboratories who are doing the tests make sure that the information is brought in in a timely manner."
Cherisse Halsall
"Sir, the daily positivity rate is extremely low. Are the departing tourists being included in the daily COVID tests. Is that why it's so low?"
Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"Everybody who is tested forms part of the reporting that we do."
Cherisse Halsall
"Sir, but concerning the PCR testing with BAHA, has BAHA - for all that kerfuffle - actually run a PCR test yet?"
Michel Chebat, Minister of Health
"They're,they're starting to do them now. They're starting to do them now."
