Not confirmed, but Minister says Omicron “likely” in Turks & Caicos

By Shanieka Smith and Dana Malcolm

Staff Writers

#TurksandCaicos, January 15, 2022 – The worst surge of the coronavirus in Turks and Caicos Islands is driven, ”most likely” by the Omicron variant of the disease.

Health Minister Jamell Robinson says government had not yet received results from Caribbean Public Health Agency, CARPHA to confirm the presence of the variant despite sending off samples in mid-December but based on the level of hospitalizations and the spike in new cases, officials could safely “theorize that Omicron was in the TCI.”

“For the month of December, we would have had several breakthroughs with the Tourists coming in, which would be indicative more of an omicron-type behaviour to begin with and then you have the significant community spread with the various spikes that our number would have indicated as well,” said the Minister.

Turks and Caicos had 40 active cases, no new deaths or hospitalizations at the start of December; six weeks later, those figures had ballooned to 840 active cases, six in hospital and five new Covid-19 related deaths up to January 13

He said that with breakthroughs, spreads and low hospitalizations, we can safely say it is very likely that Omicron is in the TCI, even without the verifications.

“We have to behave and monitor, react and access the situation as if Omicron is here,” Robinson added.

The Ministry of Health suspiciously maintains this posture of denial despite news reports from Trinidad and Tobago, which confirmed that Turks and Caicos is among the regional countries with the omicron variant.

CARPHA has also repeatedly reported that their lab has processed samples of member states, and there are no pending results.