The rolling seven-day average of new covid19 cases in TT was one as of October 28, and has been less than ten since August 20.

However, not every case is being recorded as people do home testing or none at all.

This lack of consistent monitoring is of concern to global agencies trying to keep track of new variants and effects.

Newsday asked several people if they still took covid19 precautions. Most said they continued to wash and sanitise their hands frequently, but took no other precautions.

One person said he was wearing a mask at work because his son kept getting him sick with colds from school.

“It helps me breathe easier at work because it’s really cold where I work, so when I wear it in the AC it keeps my face warm. I wash my hands and sanitise but not overly so.”

Another woman said she said she worked from home and tried to limit her interaction with the public.

“I wear masks when I go to the gas station and grocery shopping. I also go to evening classes and recently to a theatre show and I don’t see anybody else wearing masks.”

Another man said he had a mask in his car which he would wear if he heard someone coughing. He said he also sprayed his hands with rubbing alcohol often.

Pharmacies said they have seen a decline in the number of masks, hand sanitisers and home test kits being bought by customers.

At Bhagan’s Drugs in Port of Spain, the receptionist said people still came in for masks, but not test kits, and there had been a decline from the same time last year. At Longdendville Pharmacy in Longdenville, masks and hand sanitisers were still being sold, but fewer test kits.

At SRS Drugs in Arima, the pharmacist said very few masks were being sold, and at Health Corner Pharmacy in Sangre Grande, the receptionist said people would only buy masks occasionally, while home tests were bought “once in a blue moon.”

The pharmacist at Ralph’s Pharmacy, Penal said the staff still wears masks but most customers did not.

“Covid19 is still very rampant although a lot of people don’t act like it and come into the pharmacy without masks. We still sell masks and sanitiser, but not as much as when covid19 was here the first time.”

Private testing facilities have reported a decrease in the number of people coming for testing. The Renand Laboratory in St James said very few people are coming in for covid19 tests. Of these, more people opt for antigen tests than PCR tests. It said companies were no longer sending their employees for covid19 testing before they are allowed to return to work. The lab said they were still required to report positive tests to the Health Ministry.

Newsday attempted to find out if testing was available at public health facilities but was unsuccessful. At the beginning of August, the ministry lifted the requirement to wear masks at public health facilities and hospitals. Some private health facilities still require patients to mask.

Some innovations introduced into the public service during the pandemic remain, one of which is the introduction of appointment sy

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