Opposition spokesman on health, Dr Morais Guy said the Government needs to make all the requisite funding available to ensure proper containment of the novel coronavirus, should it reach the island’s shores.

“We still question the preparedness of the country as we are concerned that apart from making statements, there is not much more that is being done. We have already questioned the state of preparedness of the isolation unit at the National Chest Hospital as well as those at the public hospitals,” he said in a statement Monday (Feb 10).

Guy said the non-availability of protective clothing/material is another concern. He said that with the increasing scarcity of these necessary materials—the vast majority being produced in China and with the almost shut down of industry there, plus the urgent need to mobilize resources for itself—“we question once again the statement that we are prepared”.

President of the People’s Republic of  China Xi Jinping says his country will win the fight against the outbreak and will adopt more decisive measures to contain the spread of the epidemic.