Scabies again at South Dock Road detention center, confirms Turks and Caicos officials

#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – July 3, 2018 – Scabies has returned to the South Dock road detention center; the outbreak is confirmed by the Minister of Border Control and the Director of Immigration.

It is reported that detainees are again exhibiting signs and symptoms of having the itchy, infectious rash which has now hit the holding facility for migrants a third time, according to our records.

In December 2017 an all clear was given by the Department of Environmental Health in a government issued media statement.  At that time, it was explained that four men of the Dominican Republic were with the disease after having served a sentence at Her Majesty’s Prison.

In May 2017, Magnetic Media was informed of the first outbreak of scabies which began with a poacher from the Dominican Republic; who had also served time at Her Majesty’s Prison.  

Now, the outbreak is among Haitians being held at the center who have just completed their sentence at Her Majesty’s Prison and are awaiting repatriation to their homeland.

Our source believes the origin of the scabies is the prison, which is located in Grand Turk.

In December, the Government’s report explained:  “The Immigration Department activated its plan of changing of mattresses, bedding, linens and clothing, and due to exposure to the infected detainees, health officials visited the Detention Centre to assess the health of the remaining detainees, attending security guards and the Immigration Officers assigned to the Detention Centre.”

Director of Immigration, Derek Been said a media release will come today.  Last week, during the Appropriations Committee meeting held at the House of Assembly, Mr. Been revealed that government had spent $16,000 in the last fiscal year in an effort to rid the center of scabies.  

Scabies, a disease caused by the mite Sacoptes Scabiei, is highly contagious and immediate actions were taken by the Ministry to sanitize the area of the Detention Centre and to activate protocols for mitigation against spread of the infectious disease, says TCIG.