Unvaccinated Doctors Hospital COVID Screen Tester Tests Positive

Three other people have tested positive for COVID in cases of community transmission, including an unvaccinated person working in the coronavirus testing department at the Doctors Hospital, Chief Medical Officer Dr John Lee confirmed on Tuesday.

This brings the total number of local cases reported since September 9 to 28.

Lee said two of the new local cases involved a household that was already isolating itself as the primary contact during the recent first community outbreak, which Public Health became aware of on September 8.

The third positive person, who Lee said was also linked to this case but had not been isolated because the individual was originally known only to be a secondary contact, was isolated on Monday.

“This person is not vaccinated and had started working at Doctors Hospital in the SARS-CoV-2 screening unit about a month ago. The person had no symptoms and was screened as part of a weekly program, ”Lee said.

He noted that doctors’ hospital screenings are done separately for inpatient and outpatient services, so “it is believed that there is very little risk to any member of the public from the event related to the patient. job “.

“In addition, the person would have worn full personal protective equipment when dealing with the public,” he said.

Doctors Hospital works closely with public health to help with contact tracing and a risk assessment for the various services it provides, Lee said.

“For me, this really underscores the importance of complying with public health isolation demands, where people can appear from where you don’t expect them to be and potentially spread. [COVID-19], “he said.” Please comply with public health, not only when they ask you to self-isolate, but also when they ask you for information when collecting information about any contact tracing process. “

Doctors Hospital intervention

In a statement released later Tuesday afternoon, the doctors’ hospital said the team member who tested positive had “worked at that particular testing center with full personal protective equipment, was not not entered the main hospital and had no contact with the main hospital.

The hospital said public health was immediately engaged and contact tracing was over.

“The team member is in isolation until he receives the green light from public health,” the statement said.

He added, “This case indicates that our testing procedures worked. All of our strictly enforced safety precautions and infection control measures to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission remain in place, including regular and frequent COVID testing for ALL team members, regardless of vaccination status. or the role. “

Doctors Hospital said its COVID testing program remains uninterrupted.

Addressing the issue of testing for COVID-19 by an unvaccinated employee, the hospital responded in its statement that it was “very supportive of vaccinating all staff, however, in the Caymans this is not currently mandated by public health authorities “.

Boosters

Lee also provided an update on the recalls situation, saying it was a “soft start” and public health is calling people at serious risk “by personal invitation”.

Next week, he said, he would advise on rolling out the broader booster program, which will initially be aimed at people over 50 and those who are immunocompromised or considered vulnerable.

A spokesperson for government information services said members of the public should not contact the Health Services Authority directly to request reminders, but wait to be contacted.

The spokesperson added that only people whose second dose of the vaccine is more than six months old are eligible for a booster.

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