Concern | Large number of persons in barracks-style accommodation
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ronald Georges has voiced his concern over what he says is the large number of persons in “barracks-style accommodation”, causing easier transmission of COVID-19.
In a public statement at the weekend, Dr Georges said the type of accommodation he describes was behind a large cluster of cases associated with a local construction company on Virgin Gorda.
“To date, 29 persons have been detected to have COVID-19/coronavirus PCR results within the infectious range associated with one of the locations,” Dr Georges stated.
“The Ministry of Health continues to work closely with the company. Additionally, the Social Distancing Task Force, the Environmental Health Division, and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force are also working together to ensure that all workers of the company are quarantined for the appropriate time and tested at the appropriate time to limit any further spread that may occur from this large cluster,” he added.
Anyone who has had contact with this group or any persons who develop symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 should immediately isolate and arrange for a PCR test by filling out the online symptom tracker at completing the government’s online symptom reporting form.
Meanwhile, outside of the aforementioned large cluster that has been detected, the CMO said the Ministry of Health also continues to detect “isolated cases and small clusters of cases” across the territory in recent weeks.
“These clusters have occurred in schools, daycares, private and Government offices, large and small companies and require continued vigilance,” Dr Georges stated.
He added: “All residents should therefore continue to remain vigilant by ensuring that they adhere to all public health measures, comply with any quarantine orders and instructions of public health officers, report any suspected instances of quarantine breaches to Public Health at 468 2274 or the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force at 311, avail themselves of opportunities for vaccination.
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How many of them were full Vaccinated?
All of them. Chris made it mandatory for staff….next question? Cause everything is about vaccinated and unvaccinated…gimme a break
And this is why it was unfair to single out night clubs and mandate that all workers and patrons be fully vaccinated. They have basically been closed for months now, yet we are experiencing significant clusters throughout the Territory. The truth is that we are unable to pinpoint the exact origin of any breakout of the virus. We just all need to play our part and always be vigilant.
And always be vaccinated.
of course we have to live in clusters. who can afford to pay $1000 and up for a 1 bedroom apartment by themselve, and pay is not even $1000 a month.
We can’t afford the expensive rent so we have to bunch up and share so we can at least buy some can food and Ramen noodles
Concern about your abilities and Qualifications for this Job of leading the country in these times. (Covid-19)
You have been pushing a narrative that’s not in the best interest of the people that call these islands home. You and the Minister of Health have been both caught peddling lies and being caught saying one thing when you quote the CDC and WHO but have to change you tune after the facts come out.
Perfect example of this is here is a case of workers fully vaccinated and have the virus but you will not hear that these people were fully vaccinated and this will not be reported or reflected in your numbers, But you will use this as a opportunity to push your vaccines. With fear that the numbers are going up again and you must be Vaxx to be fully protected.
1. Do you know that this vaccine does not protect you in no way, form or Fashion from Covid-19
2. Do yo know that the vaccine is doing more harm everyday to innocent people than good.
3. How we do not hear how many fully vaccinated people were or is Hospitalized after taking the jab
I’ve had enough of unsubstantiated claims such as yours. Without facts to back it up, your claims are nothing but a baseless opinion that serves no useful purpose. Blood letting was thought to be an effective treatment in the 18th century too.
Did someone drop the ball in this case
This is the case gpvt. allow all.this cheap lobour in.We’ve people living in pigeon.holes for years on VG like no regards for human lives
Rep.knows it,at.large knows it,sister island cord. Knows it,district officer knows it
So it’s not a suprise Doc.George
If it is the construction company that I am thinking it is… they sure are not living In Pigeon holes…. Cause that employer builds proper living facilities for her workers… so just hush up… if you are living in a pigeon hole might I suggest you go back home to you big house.. lol..
Pure lies….most of them live in ghetto conditions…far worse that what they left at their home country, all in the name if hustling a faster dollar….just cut the crap talk…
Time for the government to shut down all these barrack style apartment buildings all over the BVI. Evict the tenants, destroy the building and jail the slumlords for life.
And it took covid for the esteemed CMO to realize not everyone is living like him? Where was he all the time? What road do you pass?
What funny is how this site censors peoples comments
I just saw on the other news site an article about the impact lockdowns and curfew could have on mental health. Now I’m seeing this story.
Truly, we are living in a clown world.
So-called experts are months, if not years, behind identifying problems.
The people have been trying to call this to attention for months now. The lockdown left so many people unemployed and unable to afford rent that they had no choice but to shack up with whomever would give them shelter. The amount of people in the BVI sleeping on floors with blankets…you won’t believe.
Whenever anyone tried to make a reasonable argument against the way we’ve been going educated fools just ridiculed and shut down the conversation.
But at least the government have their consultants and private insurance so it’s okay.
There’s more to living and health than just breathing and watching the sun rise and set. We are real people with real concerns. Real problems. Stop talking about our lives like it’s just a topic at a party and actually start governing like you actually want to see the people to prosper. Not just your friends and family.
If you think you can have a peaceful life with the level of inequality and apathy in the place then you are all delusional.
This whole pandemic has been handled by a set of jokers.
No lights in the place but it’s okay because no one is home. No one was ever home in the first place.
The accommodation is not a barracks type building . It is a cluster of individual buildings with each room having 2 beds a kitchen and a bathroom . No more than 2 people share a bathroom or kitchen and many rooms are single occupancy. The complex has a sewage treatment plant , running water and electricity and a laundry for use by he workers . The complex was built in 2018 .
When the first 4 cases wer discovered on sunday19th the company tested the 4 persons with rapid tests and notified the public health . On the monday no workers went to any building sites and no new cases were reported . On the Tuesday morning 2 more cases were discovered and management after talks with public health closed down all the building sites and quarantined the area with the 6 cases. On the Wednesday the company purchased food and water for all the workers living in this affected work accommodation area. On Thursday the health department tested the 43 workers in the area and on Friday we were notified that 29 were positive . All the workers are vaccinated and most don’t have any symptoms .
The company has about 80 other workers living in other locations and non of them have reported any symptoms of Covid . Several have been rapid tested by choice to reassure themselves that they are not infected . The health department has declined to test these other workers and has chosen to subject them and their families to a 14 day quarantine even though they are asymptomatic and 70 out of 80 are fully vaccinated .
The BVI health guidelines booklet advises that if an outbreak in a company occurs and you have been in close contact with a positive person and you are unvaccinated you should monitor yourself for symptoms and self isolate.
If you have been in close contact with a positive person and you are vaccinated and you have no symptoms you can carry on working , monitor your self for symptoms and you need not quarantine or isolate.
In this case the health department is going against its own rules by insisting that all the vaccinated workers with no symptoms must quarantine themselves . This ruling deprives these workers of the right to earn a living . The government is declining to even test them to see if they fall into the asymptomatic category.
Remember next week we have vaccinated visitors coming to BVI who once they have a negative test can roam free . These workers are being deprived of the same rights as these potential visitors who could easily have been exposed to Covid in STT or PR or any other point in their journey.
This is a panic reaction by health in contravention to the published guidelines. We need to get this sorted out now .
These workers need to be allowed to work as the policy dictates or be tested to see if there is a bunch of asymptomatic cases hidden in the group. We have rapid tests available in the company but due to quarantine we cannot get to use them without violating the quarantine order.
and when there is a big outbreak in VG what will you say? 29 persons in one building positive you say?