The Ministry of Public Health urges public and private hospitals to prepare for a possible entry into Haitian territory of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) originating from the city of Wuhan in the Province of Hubei (East of China) including the balance sheet dated Wednesday, February 5, 2020 is: 24,597 people infected (confirmed cases), 494 dead and 959 people recovered.

Monday a reassuring but cautious note from Dr. Marie Greta Roy Clement, the Minister of Public Health recommends to directors and officials of public and private health institutions in the country to strengthen universal precautionary measures within their institutions, particularly in the presence of severe influenza-like illness, to ensure immediate notification and medical treatment of any suspected case. Adding that all the institutions will be informed of the specific directives if the current situation changes.

Tuesday, February 4, health authorities claimed to have put in place for several days, security measures for travelers arriving at Toussaint Louverture International Airport https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-29893-icihaiti-coronavirus-toussaint-louverture-international-airport-under-surveillance.html

In addition, following the instructions of Minister Clement, Dr. Ernst Robert Jasmin, Health Director of the North, met Monday with officials of Cap-Haitien International Airport for the establishment of epidemiological surveillance of the coronavirus.

Authorities recognize that coronavirus (2019-nCoV) poses a threat to the national health system, which does not have all the technical means necessary to detect the epidemic, even if it will receive support from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States."

Tuesday, Lauré Adrien, Director General of the Ministry of Health said "Many people ask if we are ready to deal with such an epidemic ? Obviously not, I will be very hypocritical to tell you that we are ready [...] but we are preparing up to our means" explaining that hospital institutions have been identified to serve as a place of quarantine and a medical tent is being prepared installation within the airport itself stressing that the Ministry had enormous difficulty in obtaining infrared thermometers

The precarious hygienic and health conditions, the insufficient health coverage and the density of the population in Haiti, present the ideal characteristics for the propagation of a possible epidemic. Although no case of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has been identified in the Caribbean region, the fear of a new contagious disease is taken very seriously by the Haitian authorities.

International experts in epidemiological surveillance know that it is very difficult to control a global epidemic when the borders are porous as in Haiti and despite the good faith of the medical authorities.

See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-29947-icihaiti-dr-towards-the-establishment-of-a-sanitary-cordon-at-the-border.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29926-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29923-haiti-coronavirus-emergency-meeting-of-caribbean-health-ministers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29919-haiti-flash-chinese-banned-to-go-out-of-a-plane-to-port-au-prince.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29879-haiti-health-chinese-coronavirus-the-ministry-of-health-is-reassuring.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29858-haiti-flash-chinese-coronavirus-haiti-is-preparing-and-activating-its-alert-system.html

S/ HaitiLibre