Key points and live updates from the COVID-19 media conference featuring Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic and Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George.
Dr Kenneth George
- 733 tests – 14 positive 6 male 8 females
- 4 from Psychiatric Hospital
- 50 cases – 49 male, 1 female, 2 staff
- Investigating St George Primary and Princess Margaret
- Linked to two extended family clusters
- St George tested and first test was negative. Waiting to perform second test on May 8.
- Children there are doing home schooling
- Single exposure at Princess Margaret 5 Upper 1, 5 Upper 2 Class
- 58 contacts from that single case
- 2 are “very close” contacts in quarantine and will be tested today.
- All students in both classes will be tested.
- A list of teachers was also provided
- These cases are linked from an extended family. Several positive cases were identified and are being managed at Harrison Point
- A single case popped up on another ward at the Psychiatric Hospital
- 30 staff members who may have been exposed.
- All are in quarantine at a hotel
- Outbreak mainly with clients and only a few staff
Jeffrey Bostic
- The positivity average for today is just above 2%
- Still trending in the right direction
- We do not have a problem at the two schools even though we have concerns.
- It is a family cluster that has spread into the two schools.
- Similar to what happened at Ellerslie School a few months ago.
- We have taken all of the public health measures and applied the same experience from Ellerslie to deal with this.
- Contact tracing started at Princess Margaret.
- Two teachers were tested, three more to be tested based on exposure to the positive case.
- Staff of Princess Margaret can be tested on Saturday.
- It is not an outbreak.
- No need to panic, we will continue in the same vein.
- We will take further action as it is required.
- No need for further action in the schools or in the country.
- Taking the vaccine and allowing us to reach herd immunity is the ultimate in public health measures.
- Members of the teachers’ unions expressed some concerns
- No reason not to have face-to-face classes
