A worrying increase in the number of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases has taken Barbados by surprise, as health officials ramp up testing and contact tracing measures.
The outbreak, which places its root in Her Majesty’s Prisons (HMP) Dodds, in the easternmost parish of St Phillips, has contributed to the national COVID-19 tally skyrocketing from 383 to 556 within the last four days.
Just this Sunday (January 3), the island confirmed 161 cases while officials point to a bus crawl on Boxing Day, December 26 as the superspreader event behind the spike.
Minister of Health and Wellness Jeffery Bostic, in a televised address to the nation, assured Barbadians that while investigations to locate patient zero continue, the government successfully carried out a mass testing exercise at the facility.
According to Minister Bostic, HMP Dodds has a total complement of 1,130 inmates and staff.
Public health officials from the ministry were able to swab a total of 1,033 persons—or just over 90 per cent of the total population at the prison— which comprises 788 prisoners and 347 staff members, 35 of whom are civilians.
“This is the strategy that we have to use for us to be able to contain the spread of this virus. We will continue our contact tracing until we get every single primary contact in particular, and all contacts related to persons who have already tested positive,” he explained.
“Patient zero has not been identified. But there is a lead which we are following; there’s a thread. And that is under active investigation by the contact and tracing team. And if that leads to anything, I will certainly report, but at this point, we are just following that lead, but nothing that we can confirm at this time. We are still investigating that matter, and I will report in due course,” Minister Bostic continued.
Acting Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kenneth George, pointed out in addition to the 161 cases at HMP Dodds, Barbados confirmed another 33 positive COVID-19 cases between Friday and Saturday, unrelated to the prison outbreak.
He noted that most of these cases were imported, owing to passengers coming through the Grantley Adams International Airport, with the others picked up through islandwide contact tracing.
Barbados reimposed a nightly curfew last Thursday, which Prime Minister Mia Mottley said would run between midnight and 5:00 am daily; lasting for an initial period of two weeks— to be reviewed on January 14.
See related story below:
Comments