The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

ABOUT 185 healthcare workers were tested on Saturday for the novel coronavirus, with results expected today or tomorrow, according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen.

His comment came as the country added two more confirmed cases of COVID-19 yesterday for a total of 80, with 792 people in quarantine and 22 cases recovered. Up to press time, 11 people had died from the virus.

Results of the tests for healthcare workers will determine who can return to work after Princess Margaret Hospital suffered the loss of some 200 exposed healthcare workers last week, 96 of whom are doctors and 62 of whom are nurses.

Meanwhile, Dr Brennen said to date there have been 985 COVID-19 tests in the country.

The two latest confirmed cases include a 49 and 23 year old, both New Providence women who are isolating at home.

Last week Health Minister Dr Duane Sands revealed that healthcare workers were exposed to a COVID-19 positive patient on PMH’s surgical ward.

The staff crisis developed after a patient from the Robert Smith Unit of Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre was referred to PMH for further medical management on April 5.

Dr Sands said the patient received treatment at PMH and was discharged on April 15 to Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre. “Days later,” he said, “the Medical Surgical Ward II of PMH was declared compromised on discovery of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case on the ward” and was subsequently closed while the patient of the Robert Smith Unit was returned to PMH on April 19 to be tested for COVID-19.

The next day it was confirmed that he had contracted the virus and the patient is now receiving care at the Doctors Hospital West facility.

Dr Sands said the remaining 39 patients at the Robert Smith Unit “were immediately placed in an isolation cohort and the unit was sanitised. Forty-six staff members at Sandilands were identified for risk exposure assessment,” he said.

Meanwhile, five new cases were announced on Bimini on Saturday including two girls: one 15 and the other 11-years-old.

To date, there are 64 confirmed cases in New Providence, seven in Grand Bahama, eight in Bimini and one in Cat Cay.