TCI now with four COVID-19 patients; first two cases infected contacts

#TurksandCaicosIslands – March 28, 2020 — Contact tracing of Turks and Caicos first two cases of COVID-19 results in an increase of positives of coronavirus for the UK overseas territory; the TCI now has four infected individuals.

“We still don’t have any confirmed deaths but we now have four, rather than two, confirmed cases.  We learned that yesterday evening,” said Nigel Dakin, Turks and Caicos Islands Governor in a national update on radio this morning.

“You know this virus spreads, it spreads from person to person.  The more you follow the laws, but also the spirit in which the laws are drafted, the safer you will be and the safer your immediate family will be.  And in these islands, if family can stay safe, society can stay safe.”

The Turks and Caicos, since 5 a.m., has been in a 24-hour national lock down. 

The ‘stay at home order,’ was on Monday March 23, passed with a batch of other temporary regulations in the House of Assembly, which give the governor Emergency Powers. 

The most drastic of the measures prohibits the free movement of residents for 21 days, unless to access essential services. Add to the full lock down, is a nightly curfew.

“For clarity, what we mean by this is that each night, from 8pm to 5am, the rules that you have followed over the last two nights apply.  Be at home.  Only those essential front line services – involved in direct work during the hours of curfew – or those involved in preparing our supermarkets – may be on the roads,” explained Governor Dakin.

There were several arrests and vehicle confiscations from night one of the curfew, which is being enforced by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police.

“The police have to use their judgement and will.  Don’t expect to be able to say you are going to get ‘gas’ when you have anything other than close to an empty tank.  I say this for the 1% who we know will not follow any guidelines and will just be permanently selfish, looking to stretch the rules to suit themselves.”

His Excellency reminded that senior citizens, disabled persons and essential workers are in a special category; able to access grocery stores between 6am and 8am. The 24-hour lock down remains in place in the Turks and Caicos Islands until April 14, 2020.