The Ministry of Health still has a backlog of about 1,000 COVID-19 tests to be concluded.
This was disclosed by Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony yesterday. He said that this was recently reduced from 1,900. He added that 1,000 tests is still a large number and noted that the backlog is the reason for the delay in persons receiving their test results.
“When we take a sample it still takes a few days before we can actually get back the results, so we’re working to decrease that time,” Dr. Anthony said. To this end he noted that approximately 500 samples were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to assist in clearing the backlog. The results from those samples are expected to be returned today. “Once we get those results I think we would have cleared a substantial part of our backlog.”
The health minister added that the challenge with the current backlog is that as fast as samples are cleared, the same amount would be received from the various sites where testing is being conducted.
Dr Anthony acknowledged the possibility that when those results are returned that there might be a significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The health minister emphasised that there should be no alarm if it occurs. “If we test ‘X’ amount of samples we are going to see positives in those samples. So when we get back the 500 results… you would see an increase in the cases but this is because of the amount of samples that we would have tested.”
The backlog, he explained, could be linked to the significant increase in testing that has been done since he has taken office. Dr Anthony noted that 60 samples were tested daily when he took over which has so far increased to approximately 250 to 300 daily along with an increase in the shifts at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory. At the laboratory, the health authorities have gone to the maximum threshold on testing that can be done with the existing equipment.
