Contact tracing to find persons who were in contact with those who were infected with COVID-19 has commenced in Region Ten as two cases of the disease were recently confirmed in the region.
According to a press release from the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10, the Regional Health and Emergency Committee of the region issued a plea for persons who were in contact recently with the two persons who were infected with the virus in the region, to self-quarantine and contact the health authorities as there is the possibility that they may be infected. It was disclosed that the two confirmed cases in the region may have gotten infected by a known associate of both persons. “What we are aware of is that both individuals were infected by a known associate of them and there is a possibility that others may have been infected.”
Regional Health Officer, Dr Pansy Armstrong, stated that the first COVID-19 case had visitors from overseas that came for a funeral while the second victim is related to a known associate of the first victim. She appealed for persons who have been in contact with the cases to self-quarantine as the region continues its proactive approach to ensuring that there is contact tracing.
In a recent comment to Stabroek News, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle, stated that the Ministry of Public Health has also been conducting contact tracing and so far it has been a tedious and arduous task because persons are not being honest. “People are not being very honest, they don’t want to tell you who they’ve been in contact with for whatever reason,” the DCMO lamented while adding that some persons only tell authorities some of the persons they were in contact with and so they are unable to get the full picture.
With that she emphasised that contact tracing is necessary so as to ensure that those persons who contact the authorities are observed and are placed in quarantine or isolation facilities if necessary and even tested. However, she said, it is unfortunate that some persons don’t seem to see it that way.
However, the RHO repeated the call for persons within the region to call the regional hotlines, “Let me say, do not visit any health facilities, call the hotline and someone will reach out to you,” while she iterated that the public should take the situation seriously and follow the necessary instructions and regulations put in place by the health authorities.
