Omicron finally confirmed in TCI

By Shanieka Smith

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, January 28, 2022 – One out of fifty samples sent by the TCI Ministry of Health was confirmed to be the fastest spreading variant of Covid-19: Omicron. The Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health confirmed it in a press statement on Friday, January 21, finally.

Before, the country was functioning off the strong suspicion and high likelihood that Omicron was here and behind the rocketing spike in coronavirus cases. There has been a jump from single digits of cases and no hospitalizations to three-digit figures and seven in hospital, with at least two airlifted due to the virus at the time.

That Friday, the Ministry of Health and Human Services received results of genomic sequencing of samples that were submitted to the Caribbean Public Health Agency. Along with the one case of Omicron from the samples that were submitted; 44 were the more dangerous Delta variant. The others did not meet the criteria for sequencing.

Samples that were submitted were collected between October 10 to December 15 of 2021. The Ministry advised that more samples have been sent for sequencing and results will be shared with the public when available.

This reveal confirms that the Omicron variant was within the community nearly six weeks; by the  end of 2021 it was apparent that there was an anomaly.  It rocketed cases to the highest ever seen, up to 840 active during the peak, forced hundreds of private and public sector workers home and caused severe disruptions in commercial banking, policing, air travel, medical care and the department of motor vehicles.

Lines for testing were extreme and there were record setting cases among young children, on islands previously able to dodge Covid altogether and the death toll was heartbreaking; eight deaths within the country, one outside in three short weeks.

Health Minister said in his Press Conference on Thursday, January 20, informed that genomic sequencing will be introduced locally soon; a Cabinet decision gave the nod of approval to the technology for the National Public Health Laboratory.