Psychiatric Hospital employee tests positive for COVID-19

Minister of Health and Wellness Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic has confirmed that a member of staff at the Psychiatric Hospital has tested positive for COVID-19.

During this evening’s COVID-19 update, Bostic also gave the assurance that all efforts are being made to safeguard the population at the facility, where the St Lucy District Hospital is being housed at this time.

“Yes it is true that a member of staff at the Psychiatric Hospital has tested positive and we follow the same procedures that we have been following all along, which is to quarantine any such person or case, we take a particular interest, obviously within a hospital setting of any kind, for obvious reasons, we isolate those persons and we do the contact tracing that is necessary,” he said.

“We have done it on another occasion within the same Psychiatric Hospital and it has happened at other hospitals as well. On most occasions, none of the persons whom we consider to be primary contacts within the institutions have tested positive,” he added.

Barbados TODAY has received reports that about 50 police officers attached to the canine unit are in quarantine at this time. However, Bostic said that while he is unaware of that particular situation, several police officers who tested positive have been taken care of with the required contact tracing also taking place.

“Members of staff at some of the stations have returned to work. Whoever tested positive, those have been placed in isolation,” he said. (AH)