Majority of hospital security personnel cleared to work

The COVID-19 cluster involving security guards at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has increased by another four positive cases, bringing the latest number to 14, Chief Operations Officer (COO) Louise Bobb has disclosed.

Bobb said today that the additional cases came to light after a series of test results on April 20 and April 22 revealed that four of the 85 security employees who were placed in quarantine on April 18 were confirmed positive for the virus.

The origin of these cases goes back to Friday, April 16 when contact tracing linked an infectious security guard to the COVID-19 cluster from the World Harvest Ministries International church in St Peter.

All 85 security personnel along with a housekeeper who worked in the department were tested and 10 guards were confirmed to be positive.

On a brighter note, the COO said, “The remaining 81 security officers along with the associated housekeeping member of staff who were placed into quarantined on Sunday, April 17, have since received two consecutive negative COVID-19 test results, and have been medically cleared for duty,” Bobb told Barbados TODAY.

In fact, the latest information coming from the QEH is that all those who were given a clean bill of health are already back on the job.

“These members of staff will receive refresher training in best practices for reducing the risk of contracting COVID-19 which will be conducted through the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control Department and led by Dr. Corey Forde,” Bobb stated.

The hospital management had said that in order to protect staff and patients, it has followed all protocols with regard to the quarantine and testing of other security personnel with whom the affected individual was in contact.

“As in the case of previous positive staff members, deep cleaning was conducted of the work areas. In that regard, the security office and communal spaces, such as the security department, lunch and restrooms, have already undergone this deep cleaning,” declared management.

The cluster among church members of World Harvest Ministries International has also been linked by health authorities to three COVID cases at a day nursery.(emmanueljoseph@ barbadostoday.bb)