BVI News

Impromptu tests for travelling public causing technical errors

The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) is reporting that continuous impromptu COVID testing for persons planning to travel is causing a number of technical errors from their laboratories.

The Authority is therefore urging the travelling public to make appointments to be tested three days before their departure date.

According to the BVIHSA, persons would appear at the hospital for testing sometimes one day before to their scheduled flight. 

“As a result, there are more people being tested with wrong spellings, incorrect dates of birth and even wrong gender on their paperwork,” Medical Officer Dr Christine Harry explained.

She added: “The laboratory team will not correct any results already printed, if the paperwork is submitted with inaccuracies.”

How to book appointments?

The BVIHSA also outlined the procedure all persons must follow to ensure they successfully book their appointment.

The Authority said: “Persons requiring a COVID-19 test for travel purposes are asked to email [email protected] within three days of scheduled travel. A form will be emailed to the sender to be completed with details needed to make the appointment.”

“If more than one person is travelling, one form must be completed for each traveller. Individuals are asked to ensure that all the information included on the form is spelt correctly and is accurate,” the BVIHSA added.

The processing of results takes 24 to 36 hours and the cost of each test is $70.

The BVIHSA is also encouraging persons needing a COVID test for medical purposes to also make an appointment and follow the exact guidelines.  

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18 Comments

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  1. Doh says:

    So who’s doing the work over there? The Cubans? Tolans?

    Apparently this is so easy to correct. Have the workers VERIFY the name and, good God, the sex of the person with an ID!!! Duh

    Come on health workers…

    Like 39
    Dislike 1
  2. Hmm says:

    Who filling out the forms for the test. You have to let the person that require a test provide some sort of identification to tge person filling the forms, So they will see the correct spelling and date of birth. If is the person who have to be tesyed filled out their own form then its their fault if the did not provide the correct information.

    Like 17
    Dislike 1
    • Yes says:

      Yes but both the person providing the ID and the person filling out the form can’t read or write. They went to school in the BVI. Only Belongers work at these jobs. Lmao

  3. Kweenie says:

    Testing has to be done based on the requirements of the countries persons are travelling to. It takes some persons 3 days to arrive at their final destination and the test being presented must be within 4 days. Situations like this must be considered.

    Like 9
    Dislike 2
  4. Accountant says:

    Sometimes I give people my drivers license to get the name so that they will see how it is spelt, because the pronunciation is different from the spelling. They think that what is on the license is wrong and they know how to spell it, and put wrong information. Telling them and giving them the ID, they still get it wrong.

    So write it yourself. If this still doesn’t help, type it into the System Database yourself.

  5. Health services says:

    Blaming the general public because they cannot operate under some sort of time pressure? The technical issues are because of non-skilled staff and ongoing errors they make..

    Like 21
  6. LMAO says:

    So you are testing without valid ID? With an ID presented there’s no way to spell the names wrong. WHAT THE F**K?

    Like 21
    Dislike 1
  7. Basis logistics says:

    Every day this administration find new ways to baffle the public.

  8. SICK says:

    The Health Minister is so busy fearmongering that he CANNOT manage his Ministry and the issue of COVID! The vaccines arrived today, let’s bet they bungle that as well as the distribution. Sea ports scheduled to open 1 March, toda is 5 February and we haven’t seen or heard anything about getting ready for the opening. All we see are constant whatsapp and facebook messages instilling fear and hopelessness in the populace.

    Like 10
  9. WEW says:

    Again, always someone else’s fault. How can you blame the public for the lab workers incompetence ?

    Like 6
    Dislike 3
  10. One Solution says:

    Charge persons coming under 72 hours much much more – up to $300.00. This will surely ease some of the congestion.

    Like 1
    Dislike 9
  11. Simple says:

    Simple charge $200 for test where results are needed within 72 hours or less.

    Like 1
    Dislike 5
  12. Nonsense, Elementary excuses, says:

    They need to take their Dmm work serious,,,You go there and They don’t move with purpose, they don’t move like professionals, they don’t appear to be serious and responsible,,,Now they want to blame urgent testing on their elementary mistakes and before their bosses and the authorities pull them up,,, They joining with them with their elementary behavior,, most of them are just about the pay,,,A lot of false results leave that Up lab,,,, our health minister is a very bright Guy but a very, very week leader,, Make them do their work as professionals and Stop with nonsense elementary excuses,,

  13. What a ting says:

    Missing the point … No efficiency … The person writing the information is at fault . If tou can’t understand the writing or you don’t hear the information properly double check and verify . Strupes VIP for you

  14. nonsense says:

    The “technical” errors sound like human error rather than as a result of impromptu test. Get it together!

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