TCI: Over 18,500 Rapid tests; Over 11,200 Residents vaccinated

#TurksandCaicos, March 19, 2021 – Despite having a negative PRC test in order to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands, some guests are still showing up positive for the coronavirus demonstrating the sneaky nature of Covid-19.  Nearly 700 tourists (rapid test takers) have tested positive while in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

After months of requesting it, the Ministry of Health, has unceremoniously began including the data on its daily Covid-19 dashboards.  The information first appeared on March 17 and the latest situation report explains 18,678 rapid antigen tests have been performed so far in the territory.

In a single day, over 600 antigen tests were conducted in a measure which started due to new travel restrictions from the USA, the UK and Canada which called for returning travellers to show a negative result for Covid 19 at the airline check-in counters.

The rule took effect in January 2021 and in response, Turks and Caicos activated as many as 12 hotels, resorts and clinics as antigen testing centers to manage the demand.

From the National Public Health lab, there are twenty one new local cases of Covid-19 and the latest data puts Middle Caicos back on the dashboard with one new infection. 

From the 131 PCR tests performed at the national laboratory, there were also thirteen positives in Providenciales and Grand Turk with seven.

Five hundred and fifty eight people are in isolation. 

Meanwhile, HE Anya Williams, Deputy Governor and co-chair of the Covid 19 vaccine oversight committee as confirming 11,283 people have received the first dose of the vaccine up to Sunday March 14; she says it reflects 32 percent of the adult population.  

CORRECTED: MARCH 21, 2021