TCI records four new Covid-19 cases this week

BY OLIVIA ROSE

THE TCI now has four new active cases of the Covid-19.

The Ministry of Health has warned that more positive cases can be expected in light of ongoing local testing taking place through the National Public Health Laboratory.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the territory to 16 since the pandemic started. The total number of deaths remains at one.

The ministry in an announcement on Thursday (June 25) said all confirmed cases are presently in quarantine.

One of the people tested is a returning resident who was already in quarantine at the time of the test as is mandated for repatriated residents from overseas.

The second person was identified through contact tracing.

The third case is a cafeteria employee at the Cheshire Hall Medical Centre - this individual was identified in the community and was placed in quarantine.

The fourth case was also identified in the community and that person has been quarantined and will be managed in the community along with their immediate contacts.

The TCI Hospital in a statement on Saturday, June 21, said the affected employee was not responsible for preparing food.

“The Refresh Cafeteria at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre was closed as a precautionary measure, whilst the necessary due diligence continues with catering staff.

“The TCIG Environmental Health Department in collaboration with the Facilities Management Department has secured an external caterer to prepare patient meals…

“The external caterer has been briefed on the infection, prevention and control protocols and patient dietary requirements.”

Internal arrangements will be made for food distribution to patient rooms as a patient safety measure.

“During the closure period, the hospital will utilise the opportunity to conduct the usual deep sanitisation and cleaning above the normal robust environmental procedures and controls in conjunction with TCIG Environmental Health Department,” the hospital said.

TCI Hospital underscored that from the onset of the outbreak, patients, visitors and staff were subject to Covid-19 screening in order to access the healthcare facility.

However, the staff member who later tested positive for the virus was asymptomatic and therefore passed the screen test.

“On the day the employee became symptomatic, the employee presented to an offsite clinical facility and was required to undergo a Covid-19 test out

an abundance of caution, which returned a positive result.

“All other employees within the small department deemed close contacts are presently asymptomatic and have been quarantined as a precaution.”

The hospital emphasised that rigorous measures are ongoing to reduce the risk of disease transmission and exposure to employees and patients.

“There have been no changes to the current status of clinical operations at Cheshire Hall Medical Centre.

“The facility continues to enforce visitor restrictions, use of personal protective equipment and other infection prevention and control measures along with reduced patient volumes for outpatient services to ensure compliance with social distancing measures and avoid patient clusters.

“Our thoughts are with our valued staff and the newly diagnosed person for a complete recovery during the home isolation period.”

AGGRESSIVE CONTACT TRACING

During a radio interview on Saturday, June 20, Chief Medical Officer Dr Nadia Astwood said aggressive contact tracing efforts are ongoing.

“Right now the public health team are in response mode,” she said, “we’re actively doing contact tracing to identify other persons who may be contacts so that we can ensure that they are also tested and placed into quarantine.

“The public health team is very active as they have been during this entire pandemic to ensure that there isn’t any transmission into the wider community.”

The chief medical officer acknowledged that despite the Government’s best efforts, the virus is still active in the community.

“The reality is we have coronavirus, even though we’ve put in place all of the measures in terms of educating the public about the protective measures.

“Even though we have in place our hotlines for people to call in if they have symptoms of the virus so that they can be contacted by the health team and tested, you would expect that there would be some level of coronavirus in the community.

“And we have seen all over the world that some people can have extremely mild symptoms and they don’t even think they have coronavirus and then of course you also have persons that maybe asymptomatic and still have coronavirus.”

She urged residents to continue to practice social distancing, hand washing and other health and safety measures.

“We still have to take precautions. Every island, every person, every household, every community needs to take these precautions at all times and in particular in the run up to the reopening of the borders.”

To date, the TCI has recorded a total of 445 test results, with 429 confirmed to be negative and 16 positive confirmations.

A total of 783 individuals have been released from quarantine/observation status, and 187 remain under quarantine/ observation.

Widespread community testing is being conducted for frontline workers, those who are traveling locally to other islands and those who have to travel abroad for medical purposes, as well as returning and intentional travellers who are residents.