#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos – Monday July 14, 2020 — A deeply concerning reveal on Monday evening, when a leading grocer announced it had to suddenly shut down due to Covid 19.
Now at 72 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, Turks and Caicos is recording a steady climb of positive cases of Covid 19 and it is beginning to impact retail and wholesale spaces. At least two major stores have had, in the past week, to shut their doors when at least one member of staff was confirmed with the virus.
Photo provided by Graceway Supermarkets
Wine Cellar announced its closure last week. Last night, it was Graceway IGA – the country’s
largest grocery store.
IGA closed an hour early on Monday July 13 and informed that it would remain that way until noon Tuesday July 14.
The public statement said the Ministry of Health informed the company that a staff member was positive for the coronavirus and that led to the 18-hour closure and deep cleaning of the Leeward Highway located store.
In response to our questions about the rapid rate of reopening; IGA replied that their reopening is not too swift as management had prepared for this potential eventuality.
Photo provided by Graceway Supermarkets
“As cases of Covid began to proliferate on island, we realised that we needed to prepare our plan of response for when/if a colleague tested positive. Once we were informed of the positive test, we were able to quickly activate those protocols. Parkway Cleaning, a professional cleaning service, was commissioned to conduct a thorough deep clean of the entire building during the overnight hours.”
Photo provided by Graceway Supermarkets
Images of the deep and electrostatic cleaning at Graceway IGA were shared with Magnetic Media by management, which added in their media response that, “This was done in consultation with the Department of Environmental Health.”
No specific department of the store of the positive case is revealed, instead Graceway Supermarkets offered this explanation: “…the contacts of that staff member were sent home to self-isolate in accordance with the Ministry of Health guidelines.
Staff are naturally concerned, especially for their colleague. Employees are reassured of our safety measures and our support in the event anyone gets ill.”
Photo provided by Graceway Supermarkets
It was also shared, that shopping carts and high touch areas were a part of that cleaning exercise.
Both IGA and Wine Cellar are now reopened.
Wine Cellar informed in a statement that in addition to mandatory mask wearing of staff and customers and hand sanitizer at entrances, their in-office workforce has been reduced and staff will now undergo daily temperature checks.
Turks and Caicos currently has 58 active cases of Covid-19.
Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.
Turks and Caicos, July 5, 2025 – Around 7AM on today’s date 5th July 2025 officers of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) assisted by members of the public carried out a search in the community of Providenciales focusing on targeted areas.
Approximately 9:06 a.m. on Saturday, July 5th, 2025, while conducting the search operation in the Grace Bay area, one of the teams discovered the body of a deceased male in a decomposed state.
The discovery was made along Long Bay Road. The scene has been secured, and all appropriate partner agencies have been notified.
At present, the identity of the deceased has not been established. The RTCIPF will provide further updates as soon as the identification process is complete and the next of kin are informed.
Acting Commissioner of Police Mr. Rodney Adams on commenting on the discovery of the body. We the police extend condolences to the family and friends of the deceased and ask that the public not speculate and await positive identification of the deceased.”
This matter remains under active investigation.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is appealing to anyone who may have information to contact 911 or the nearest Police Station. Information may also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers at 1-800-8477 (TIPS)
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – The Ministry of Health and Human Services was represented at the 2025 UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) Public Health Conference held under the theme “Collaborative Approaches to Risk Communication” at the Park Plaza Victoria in London, from June 23–27, 2025.
Attending on behalf of the Turks and Caicos Islands were Dr. Nadia Astwood, Chief Medical Officer, and Mr. Lynrod Brooks, Director of Health Policy and Planning.
Hosted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) under its Civil Resilience Programme, the conference convened Chief Medical Officers and senior technical officers from several UK Overseas Territories including Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands – as well as from the Crown Dependencies, St. Helena, Ascension and Gibraltar.
The week-long event featured a range of expert-led sessions and workshops, focusing on strengthening risk communication and public health resilience across the UKOTs. Key agenda items included:
Introduction to Behavioural Science-Informed Risk and Crisis Communication
Good Practice for Effective Crisis Communication
Crisis Alert! A Scenario-Based Exercise
Identifying Key Health Threats and RCCE (Risk Communication and Community Engagement) Needs – Workshops Parts 1 & 2
Civil Food Resilience in the UKOTs
Risk Communication and EPRR (Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response) Frameworks
Practical Approaches to Risk and Crisis Communication
Communicating Risks in Violence Prevention: Public Health Approaches
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support During Crisis
Responding to Emerging Infections
Antimicrobial Resistance: Assessing the Global Threat
Cervical Cancer Elimination and RCCE
Tackling Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Vaccine Hesitancy
Enhancing Comprehensive Prevention and Management of Diabetes – Interactive Session
A highlight of the conference was the keynote address delivered by Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England. In his address, he emphasized both progress and persistent challenges in global public health.
Commenting on the importance of the conference, Dr. Nadia Astwood, Chief Medical Officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands, stated, “This gathering provided a critical opportunity to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange across the Overseas Territories, particularly around preparedness and response to public health threats. Strengthening health security remains a top priority for the Turks and Caicos Islands.”
Hon. Kyle Knowles, Minister of Health and Human Services, echoed this sentiment, noting, “We are grateful for the continued support from the UK Government through the FCDO and UKHSA. This platform ensures that the Turks and Caicos Islands are part of a coordinated approach to building resilience and safeguarding public health.”
The Ministry’s participation in this conference forms part of ongoing efforts to enhance the national capacity for emergency preparedness, community engagement, and evidence-informed public health communication.
U.S. Officials, Family Join Local Efforts as Disappearance Enters Ninth Day
By Deandrea Hamilton | Editor and Wilkie Arthur | Eagle Legal News
Turks and Caicos, July 4, 2025 – The United States Department of State has confirmed it is aware of the disappearance of American citizen Brian Tarrence in Turks and Caicos, and the U.S. Embassy in Nassau is actively assisting in the ongoing investigation. Tarrence’s mother is now on the island, anxiously hoping for good news as the search for her son enters its ninth day.
Tarrence, 51, of New York, vanished on June 25 while vacationing with his wife in Providenciales. The couple was staying at the Inn at Grace Bay in a privately rented villa booked via Airbnb. CCTV footage reviewed by Eagle Legal News shows Tarrence walking away from the property around 3:00 a.m., alone and without signs of immediate distress. He has not been seen since.
The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force is treating the case as high priority, and a search operation is underway in Grace Bay, with efforts expanding to The Bight and nearby districts. U.S. private investigator Carl DeFazio, hired by Tarrence’s family, is also on the ground and working alongside local authorities.
“We are tracking any activity—credit cards, digital devices—that could point us toward his location,” said DeFazio. “This is a coordinated effort, and we are committed to bringing Brian home.”
Sources close to the investigation say Tarrence may have been in a vulnerable state prior to his disappearance. His wife reported that he had relapsed into alcohol use and was displaying increasingly erratic behavior, including signs of paranoia and delusional speech. He reportedly believed people were outside their villa and made concerning remarks hours before he disappeared.
When his wife woke that morning, Tarrence—and his phone and wallet—were gone. The devices remain unreachable, and no transactions or confirmed sightings have been reported.
His wife continues to cooperate fully with police, while his mother, who recently arrived in TCI, has joined local and diplomatic efforts in hopes of a safe resolution.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-8477.