Four days on, no results for first Turks and Caicos COVID-19 isolation patient

#TurksandCaicosIslands – March 23, 2020 — Turks and Caicos Health officials have still not determined if the country’s first isolation patient is positive for COVID-19, and now a second individual is in government managed isolation.

The 89-year old Turks and Caicos Islands woman remains in hospital, and while eight tests for the coronavirus have come back to the Turks and Caicos negative, hers is not one of them.

In response to Magnetic Media questions to clarify the Sunday March 22 health dashboard on COVID-19, there was this information:

“(The) previously reported 89-year-old is still hospitalized; awaiting results.  The second hospitalization is over the past 24hrs.”

There were no other details provided on the new isolation case, but the TCI Ministry of Health explained, “Anyone in isolation requires hospital care, meaning their symptoms are severe enough that they can no longer be cared for at home.”

The March 22 update from the Health Promotion and Advocacy Unit of the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health and Human Services revealed that there are now 60 people, in self-quarantine.  The figure is up from 51, just the day before.

Suspected cases of the coronavirus more than doubled to 10, up from four cases the day previous.

The Health Dashboard on the Turks and Caicos Islands informed that 32 individuals have been cleared following a 14-day quarantine.

Turks and Caicos is unable to test for the coronavirus in country and is reliant upon The Bahamas and CARPHA for assistance.  Turn around on the results is one to three days, according to the Ministry. 

It has however been four days since the 89-year old woman, recently returned from medical treatment in Jamaica, was rushed to hospital by ambulance with severe respiratory problems.