Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony says that he disclosed the private health information of Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) Christopher Jones and Sherod Duncan because the men were expected to be in home isolation but attended Parliament on Tuesday.
At the first sitting of the 12th Parliament yesterday, Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir and his Clerk, Sherlock Isaacs were emergency sanitized after being informed that Jones had recently tested positive for COVID-19. It was Dr. Anthony who disclosed this information to the Clerk after Jones met with Isaacs and Speaker on a separate matter that day.
The APNU+AFC coalition put the Minister of Health on blast subsequently, accusing him of disclosing the private health information of Jones and of sending the wrong message that he is COVID-19 positive when his positive test was received over 15 days ago and he had recovered.
The APNU+AFC, in its upbraiding of the Health Minster, presented his own orders back to him. Not long ago he announced that “no follow up test (is) needed to be cleared of COVID 19” and explained that once a person tests positive they must be monitored for 10 days and, once they are free of symptoms, they will be monitored for another 3 days.
Much wasn’t said then about Duncan but Attorney General, Anil Nandlall, this morning, raised the issue again calling out the two MPs for “exposing their own political colleagues”.
In a video message shared through the Department of Public Information (DPI) this afternoon, Dr. Anthony sought to ‘clear the air’ providing information that both Jones and Duncan were still expected to be under home isolation.
Jones and Duncan underwent COVID-19 tests for which their results were made available to them on August 23 and 26, respectively. Jones’ self-isolation period would come to an end on September 4 while Duncan’s last day in self-isolation would be on September 7, assuming the last three days for both of are symptom-free.
“…from the information that I have now received, they were tested, they were advised that they should stay home for at least 13 days, the first 10 and then the second three, once they were A-symptomatic, that they would then finish their home isolation. Both of them are still supposed to be in home isolation and, at the time when they got the positive tests to when Mr. Jones and Mr. Duncan were in parliament is within that time frame,” Dr. Anthony said.
According to the Health Minister, Parliamentarians who took their oaths on Tuesday were asked by the Clerk of the National Assembly the day prior to indicate whether they were COVID-19 positive and, if so, refrain from attending the sitting unless virtually.
Dr. Anthony said that the coronavirus emergency measures in place as well as the Public Health Ordinance state that anyone who knowingly spreads an infectious disease commits an offence.
“Both of them have breached the rules that we have for self-quarantine. This is actually very highly irresponsible of them to come to the Parliament and endanger their colleagues, endanger all of us,” he said.
The Minister added that, given his position, when he sees such disregard he has the right to inform the authorities which is why he disclosed the information to the Clerk and Speaker of the House yesterday.
