Two more get COVID-19 at Psychiatric Hospital

The COVID-19 cluster at the Psychiatric Hospital has increased by two.

However, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Kenneth George is giving the country the assurance that health authorities have the situation under control.

He said that even with these latest cases having been detected yesterday, the rate of spread of the disease within the mental institution in Black Rock, St Michael has declined.

“There were two further cases, both patients…and we continue to investigate. I believe we have the situation under control. We had a total of over 50 cases at the Psychiatric Hospital over the last two to three weeks. The clinical management of the patients was done on site…Many of the patients have recovered,” the chief medical officer told Barbados TODAY this evening.

“We expect that for any outbreak, there is a peak and then there is a levelling off at a slower rate than the peak. So we believe we have the situation under control,” the Government’s chief medical advisor reiterated.

He said the ministry is continuing to use the expertise of Head of Isolation Facilities Dr Corey Forde and his team to manage the cases.

Dr George also noted that the country has recorded no new clusters, pointing out that the ministry has been “very” vigilant during this time.

“We continue to do that. I would just like to take the opportunity to let the Barbadian public know that COVID is still with us. It still has a measurable mortality, particularly with people who are elderly and particularly with people who have non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  And therefore it is absolutely important that the public tries to protect itself,” he said.

“How you protect yourselves is with the standard infection prevention and control protocols and try to get vaccinated once you have an appointment,” Dr George stated.

Regarding the controversial World Harvest Ministries church in Speightstown, St Peter which authorities said had developed a cluster which fed into other clusters including the Psychiatric Hospital’s, the CMO said “Situations pop up, they settle down and then they pop up in other areas. So, with the church in the north, we continue to look for leads, but I don’t think we have had any additions to that cluster for a long time,” the CMO revealed.

In mid-April this year, Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic told a press conference at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) that the church cluster was about 22 or 23 positives over a two-week period comprising members, as well as family members and close associates. (emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)