Health
Hospitality Sector gets advice on Monkey Pox
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, August 20, 2022 – As this new outbreak pushes the parameters of what the world thought it knew about Monkeypox, Dr. Jeremy Myers, Deputy Chief Medical Officer when questioned about how one can protect from contracting this new health threat, had advice for the hospitality.
“General disinfectants have been proven to be effective and what we call barrier methods which would be wearing gloves or disposable aprons— if you keep those kinds of interaction as brief as possible and wash your hands in between, wearing gloves etc. would definitely reduce the chance of you getting infected” he said.
Turks and Caicos has detected one suspected case so far. It was imported and the individual was asked to self-isolate. At this time, the British overseas territory is ill-equipped, though eager to be able to do so, to test and confirm any cases of MonkeyPox.
“We can’t test for it locally so it is for each and every person to take all necessary precautions,” he explained. Adding, “Some of the equipment that we already gained from Covid with modified reagents and equipment can be used to test for Monkeypox but because this is the latest public health emergency as you can imagine these resources are very limited and in high demand across the world so we are working aggressively to try and bargain for our piece to increase our capacity to test for Monkeypox.”
Currently there are over 35,000 known cases of MonkeyPox worldwide.
The rash that characterizes Monkeypox has changed in some cases during this outbreak. Instead of starting on the face and spreading outwards after it has often begun in areas other than the face (e.g., genital, perianal, the mouth) in some patients, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says the lesions have been scattered or localized to a specific body site rather than diffused like usual and many have not involved the face or extremities.
Regardless, Myers reminded that one needed prolonged exposure to the virus to contract it and there were precautions that could reduce the risk especially for those handling sheets etc.
There are also symptoms to look out for including:
Few lesions or even a single lesion
-Absence of skin lesions in some cases, with anal pain and rectal bleeding
-Lesions in the genital or perineal/perianal area that do not spread to other areas of the body
-Lesions appearing at different stages of development (asynchronous)
-The appearance of lesions before fever, malaise, and other systemic symptoms (absence of
prodromal period)
In the meantime and while no timeline was given for when testing for Monkeypox would be up and running in the Turks and Caicos, the acting Health Minister, E Jay Saunders offered that the Ministry was operating on a basis that the virus would eventually make its way to the TCI because of the country’s proximity to several hotspots for the virus including Florida and due to the nature of tourism.
The team, he said at an August 8 press conference, is working aggressively to expand testing capability. Until then quarantine of suspected cases of the rapidly spreading disease will be the action in order to minimize impact.
February is National Self- Check Month and family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic, OH, John Hanicak, MD, highlights why at home self-checks are extremely important when it comes to not just early cancer detection but identifying other illnesses too and offers tips on what to look out for.
“Sometimes I look at them as sort of like your check engine light on the car, just like there would be a red flashing light that tells you that
there’s something wrong with a car and prompts you to bring that in and get serviced. Your body does the same thing. It gives you warning signs to look into that symptom a little bit further,” said Hanicak.
Dr. Hanicak said self-checks are going to be a little different for everyone.
However, in general, he recommends looking for anything that may seem abnormal, such as unexplained weight loss, blood in your urine, bumps and bruises that won’t heal, and changes in bowel habits.
For example, if you suddenly start going to the bathroom a lot more than you used to, that could be a sign of something more serious.
He also suggests doing regular skin checks and documenting any moles or spots that start to look different.
“Realize that you are your own person. There’s nobody else in the world exactly like you. You’ve got your own set of ideas, your own family history and your own genetics. Know what is normal for you, and when that changes, that’s the kind of thing that we would be interested in talking about,” said Dr. Hanicak.
Dr. Hanicak notes that self-checks are not meant to replace cancer screenings, as those are just as important to keep up with.
Press Release: Cleveland Clinic
December 4, 2025 – Hollywood legend Bruce Willis – arguably the most famous former home owner in Turks and Caicos Islands – is facing the most difficult role of his life and turning it into one last act of service.
Willis, 70, retired from acting in 2022 after his family revealed he had been diagnosed with aphasia. The following year, specialists
confirmed he is living with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a degenerative brain disease that attacks language, behaviour and personality.
In recent interviews and appearances, his wife Emma Heming Willis has said Bruce is “surrounded by love and care” and that the family is learning to find joy in new ways, even as the disease progresses.
Now, Heming Willis has gone further. In her 2025 memoir The Unexpected Journey, she writes that the family has decided Bruce’s brain will be donated to science after his death to advance research into FTD. That decision has been highlighted in recent coverage by futurist and science outlets, which describe it as a carefully considered step after months of watching a still-physically-strong man steadily lose speech, reading and independence.
Neurologists have long stressed how rare donated brain tissue is for FTD, and how essential it is to understanding which proteins, mutations and mechanisms are actually driving the disease. The Willis family’s choice means the brain that powered some of cinema’s most iconic characters could one day help researchers diagnose the condition earlier and design better treatments – even if it cannot help Bruce himself.
For Turks and Caicos, the story lands close to home. For nearly two decades Willis owned “The Residence” on exclusive Parrot Cay – a 7.3-acre, Asian-inspired beachfront compound with a five-bedroom main house, two guest villas and a yoga pavilion. He and Emma listed the estate in March 2019 for US$33 million; it sold a few months later for about US$27 million, one of the biggest residential deals in TCI history.
So, while Bruce Willis no longer has a physical address in Turks and Caicos, his connection to these islands remains part of his global story – a story now shifting from blockbuster fame to medical legacy, as his family turns private heartbreak into a public contribution that could change what we know about dementia.
Developed by Deandrea Hamilton • with ChatGPT (AI) • edited by Magnetic Media.
Deandrea Hamilton | Editor
Turks and Caicos, September 6, 2025 – COVID-19 fears in the Turks and Caicos Islands that once had residents on edge are now giving way to a sense of relief. The Ministry of Health and Human Services reports a dramatic reversal: from dozens of new cases in July to zero cases and zero hospitalizations today.
Between August 17 and 23, 2025, officials confirmed no new cases, no hospitalizations, and no new deaths. Just two recoveries were recorded, bringing the national recovery tally to 6,866. The total confirmed cases since 2020 stand at 6,922, with deaths unchanged at 41. Health officials say August has been relatively quiet overall, with 19 new cases and recoveries recorded for the month — a fraction of what the islands faced just weeks earlier.
The contrast could not be sharper. The most concerning bulletin came in mid-July, when the Ministry reported 54 new cases in a single
week. Ten were fresh positives, while the other 44 came from a backlog of April samples. At that time, two new hospitalizations were recorded, and the islands mourned one additional COVID-related death, bringing the total to 41. It was a sobering reminder that the virus was still circulating, pushing recoveries to 6,845 and raising the cumulative case count to 6,910. The July spike stirred fear among residents and renewed calls for vigilance, as community spread and delayed lab results painted a worrying picture.
Fast forward to late August, and the numbers tell a very different story. Not only are new cases negligible, but the hospitals are reporting no COVID-19 patients at all. Officials say testing continues across a wide range of categories, and the Ministry urges the public to stay cautious: wash hands, wear masks in crowded spaces, protect the vulnerable, and get vaccinated. But the tone now is one of optimism.
Since the pandemic began in 2020, Turks and Caicos has recorded nearly 7,000 cases in total, with 6,866 recoveries and 41 deaths. The islands’ small population means every case has felt significant, and surges like July’s were especially unsettling. But today’s figures suggest the country has reached a new stage: COVID-19 is no longer the disruptive force it was. The Ministry credits continued public vigilance and the accessibility of free testing and vaccines at government clinics. While the numbers are cause for celebration, health leaders are careful not to declare the fight over. The Ministry’s latest bulletin reminds residents to maintain hygienic practices, follow self-isolation guidelines if infected, and ensure vaccinations are up to date.
The pandemic may not be entirely behind the Turks and Caicos, but compared to the frightening figures of July, the near-zero landscape of August offers a powerful sign of hope.
The Ministry released the bulletin on September 2, confirming that for the week of August 17–23, no new cases, hospitalizations, or deaths were recorded — a sharp contrast to the surge just weeks earlier.
