COVID-19 cluster at business place has grown

The cluster of COVID-19 cases identified at a business has now grown to 12.

Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic, disclosed this morning that the three persons sent for assessment at the Harrison Point Isolation Facility had tested positive for the virus, along with two family members. He had stated yesterday that there were seven COVID-19 cases at the establishment.

He added that approximately 40 people were currently in quarantine, after aggressive contact tracing by health officials.

The Health Minister also pointed out that all staff members were being tested for the virus and he believed authorities would be able to contain the cluster “in the coming days”.

Furthermore, Minister Bostic said the cases were proof COVID-19 was still out there. He also noted that none of the persons who tested positive at the institution was vaccinated.

“I would like to take this opportunity to urge persons to come forward and present themselves to be vaccinated. It is important for persons to take advantage of this because this is the best way of containing this virus, so that we can breathe a lot better and be able to do the things we are accustomed to doing that we haven’t been able to do in the last 18 months.

“The impact of the virus on persons who have been fully vaccinated is a reduced impact. Even persons who have only had one so far, they are provided with a level of protection from the virus that is still commendable, but we want for persons who have not been vaccinated to come forward,” he underscored.

When pressed to disclose the name of the business place in question, Minister Bostic declined to reveal the name of the institution, stating that it was not the Ministry’s policy to reveal the name of private companies or businesses with COVID-19 cases.

“Our policy has been very consistent in terms of the naming of businesses. When we name an institution, you would recognise that it is a government institution. The companies or the businesses themselves sometimes issue statements and make that known to the public. I want to continue in that vein,” he maintained. (BGIS)