Governor Silvestri 2020-05-04

Summary of Facebook Live Chat by Governor Silvestri at 2020-05-04 09:30 (starts at 02:40).

This is a transcript of the English transmission. There is also a Spanish transmission which I do not translate.

Note that it’s been re-ordered and some repetition collapsed.

Mondays donation summary is being pushed to 15:00 Tuesday due to schedule conflicts.

COVID-19

Test results:

• Still at zero cases of COVID-19 on the Bay Islands
  • Only 3 departments free of COVID-19 at this time, Bay Islands is one of them
• 33 tests completed
  • 3 on Utila
  • 1 on Guanaja
  • Population of Utila and Guanaja is approximately 20,000. This is not enough

Cases:

• 1,000 in mainland
  • 700 in Cortez (where San Pedro Sula is)

Equipment:

• Still trying to get equipment, it’s very difficult to get though as all countries are hoarding.
• Need PCR readers, main issue is getting them to the Bay Islands due to global demand.

Testing locations:

• Tegucigalpa
• San Pedro Sula

Bringing people back to the islands vs opening up locally:

• These goal conflict. We can’t open up locally and bring people who may be infected with COVID-19 back onto the islands.
• If we get a case on the islands, there will be a much stricter lock down than what we have today.
• There’s no authority/jurisdiction to open locally without permission from central government

Travel

Getting people back home to the Bay Islands

• Was a protest, understands the anger. Right to protest and agree that people should be able to come home. Problem is getting the equipment to be able to do so responsibly.
• In order to protect people in the Bay Islands, need to have plans for many different scenarios
  • Example given for the negative side: plane brings in 18 people, put them in a hotel, everyone wears biosecurity gear. If one person has COVID-19, then instead of being a quarantine centre, it’s a mini hospital and there’s only about 200 health workers for the entire Bay Islands. This will pull resources from clinics and hospitals to deal with the situation.
  • Hospital is dealing with 24/7 issues right now, lots more accidents.
  • Preferred protocol: people arrive on plane, everyone gets tested and then they can go home.
• Currently limited manpower, managing a 14 day quarantine would be difficult (especially if someone come over infected)
• Financial oversight committee is looking into renting space off of the islands for doing quarantine
• The governor also has family stuck on the mainland who want to come back

Cruise ships:

• Expect them to implement testing before people board

Guanaja and Utila brought people in, why not Roatan:

• Recommendation was not to, but local authorities made the decision to anyway

People coming from Cayman Islands:

• These people are going to La Ceiba

Estimate of travel being open:

• United have flights scheduled for the end of May, but not entirely sure

Health protocols:

• No scheduled flights in, once those are scheduled we’ll discuss protocols with them

Utila Ferry to Roatan:

• Going to look into that as soon as the Bay Islands are opened up locally

Repatriation flights to the UK:

• No more flights that they know of

General

New measures:

• 1 number per day over a 10 day period (Saturday and Sunday are forbidden)
  • So we get to do shopping every other week
  • Pulperias and small community stores are still open until 20:00 every day for everyone within walking distance (1 km).
    • Can go to the closest one if there are none within walking distance.
  • Local officials are fighting for exceptions for the Bay Islands
  • Governor recommends getting friends to do shopping for each other to manage the two week

Government organisation summary:

• Government in Honduras is either federal or local, there’s not really much state infrastructure.
• Governor has very little authority locally, but can still work on our behalf
• Governor is appointed

Federal help for the Bay Islands:

• Plan is to pay 56% of salaries for those in the tourism industry.
  • This hasn’t been fully approved yet. Will let us know when it’s approved.
• Recommend working with chamber of commerce and Bay Islands tourism bureau

Communication for those without social media:

• Broadcast on TV
• Talking to community leaders

Seeing a doctor:

• If you’re sick, you’re allowed to go

Goods into the islands:

• As of now, still receiving all supplies
• Customs is not impacted
• No plan to limit cargo incoming, especially food

Getting vaccines for children:

• Some cargo boats have refrigeration, talk to them

Dive Shops:

• Asking for exceptions, still waiting on federal government

Keeping roads open:

• This is national, not municipal police

Police for crime instead of ID:

• Crime is a higher priority for the police than checking IDs
• Relying on help from people to report issues
• Roatan detention centres are packed, still arresting people as necessary though

Protesting:

• Please don’t block all lanes so that people can still get shopping etc done
• Protests are also mass gatherings which are dangerous
• If you’re protesting, stay on the sides of the road or the police will move you
• Governor has already met with these people 6 times

Masks:

• Roatan Mayors office is working on a way to get masks to those who can not afford to get masks