Health
Update on outbreak of gastroenteritis in Grand Turk
Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands – Friday, 13 September 2024: Following our previous report on an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Grand Turk, the Ministry of Health and Human Services can confirm the results of the samples tested from affected individuals by the National Public Health Laboratory. Samples tested returned five positive for norovirus and one positive for E. coli.
Norovirus is a highly contagious virus which causes diarrhea and vomiting. Most persons with norovirus recover after 1-3 days.
Signs and symptoms
A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after exposure to norovirus.
- Most common symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain
- Other symptoms: Fever, headache, and body aches
Dehydration
If you have norovirus illness, you can feel extremely ill, and vomit or have diarrhea many times a day. This can lead to dehydration (loss of body fluids), especially in young children, older adults, and people with other illnesses. Symptoms of dehydration include:
- Decreased urination
- Dry mouth and throat
- Feeling dizzy when standing up
- Crying with few or no tears
- Unusual sleepiness or fussiness
Who is at risk
Anyone can get infected and sick with norovirus, and people of all ages can get infected during norovirus outbreaks.
Children younger than 5 years old, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to develop severe infections.
How it spreads
Norovirus spreads very easily and quickly in different ways but primarily occurs through the fecal-oral route. You can get norovirus by:
- Having direct contact with someone with norovirus, like caring for them, sharing food or eating utensils with them, or eating food handled by them.
- Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus.
- Touching contaminated objects or surfaces and putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.
You can still spread norovirus for two weeks or more after you feel better.
Prevention
Norovirus is very contagious, but you can take steps to protect yourself and others, including:
- Wash your hands well and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially:
- After using the toilet or changing diapers.
- Before eating, preparing, or handling food.
- You can use hand sanitisers in addition to hand washing, but hand sanitiser is not a substitute for handwashing, which is best.
- Cook shellfish thoroughly and wash fruits and vegetables.
- Do not prepare, handle food, or care for others when you are sick.
- Clean and disinfect contaminated surfaces.
After someone vomits or has diarrhea, always clean well and disinfect the entire area immediately.
- Wear rubber or disposable gloves, wipe the entire area with paper towels, and throw the towels in a plastic trash bag.
- Disinfect the area as directed on the product label.
- To disinfect, use a chlorine bleach solution with a concentration of 1,000 to 5,000 ppm (5 to 25 tablespoons of household bleach [5% to 8%] per gallon of water) or use an EPA-registered disinfecting product against norovirus.
- Leave bleach disinfectant on the affected area for at least 5 minutes.
- Clean the entire area again with soap and hot water.
- Wash laundry in hot water.
- Stay home when sick. Once symptoms stop, stay home for an additional 2 days (48 hours).
Treatment and recovery
Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days. There is no specific medicine to treat people with norovirus illness. Antibiotic drugs will not help treat norovirus infections because they fight bacteria, not viruses.
Watch for dehydration
Watch for signs of dehydration (loss of body fluids) in children who have norovirus illness. Children who are dehydrated may cry with few or no tears and be unusually sleepy or fussy.
Drink plenty of liquids
If you have norovirus illness, you should drink plenty of liquids to replace fluid lost from vomiting and diarrhea. This will help prevent dehydration.
Sports drinks and other drinks without caffeine or alcohol can help with mild dehydration. However, these drinks may not replace important nutrients and minerals. Oral rehydration fluids that you can get over the counter are most helpful for mild dehydration.
Seek medical care for severe dehydration.
Dehydration can lead to serious problems. Severe dehydration may require hospitalisation for treatment with fluids given through your vein (intravenous or IV fluids). If you think you or someone you are caring for is severely dehydrated, visit your healthcare provider.
The Minister of Health and Human Services, Honourable Shaun D. Malcolm, wishes to advise the general public that the Ministry of Health will continue to work diligently to not only reduce but to stem the spread of the Norovirus outbreak. He stated that he is confident that the Public Health Team is more than capable to manage the outbreak and encourages the general public to do its part.
For additional information, please call 649-338-5469 or visit the Ministry of Health and Human Services Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tciministryofhealth/.
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.
Health
Turks and Caicos Islands Health Delegation Completes Strategic Visits to Florida and Cayman Islands to Advance Health Sector Reform and Strengthen Treatment Abroad Programme
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, 22 August 2025 — A high-level delegation from the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) has successfully concluded strategic working visits to Florida and the Cayman Islands from August 5–13, 2025. The mission aimed to strengthen the Treatment Abroad Programme, explore innovative health system models, and advance the Turks and Caicos Islands’ health sector reform agenda through strategic regional partnerships.
Delegation Members:
- Hon. Kyle Knowles – Minister of Health and Human Services
MoHHS Team with Health City Executive Management Team
- Mrs. Desiree Lewis – Permanent Secretary, Health and Human Services
- Mr. Lynrod Brooks – Director, Health Policy and Planning
- Ms. Florinda Talbot – Contract Performance Manager
- Mrs. Romaine Missick-Smith – CEO, Health Regulations Authority
- Ms. Jasmine Malcolm – Executive Administrator, MOHHS
Minister of Health and Human Services, Hon. Kyle Knowles, highlighted the significance of these engagements:
“These visits were not ceremonial; they were strategic, focused, and impactful. In Florida, we reinforced partnerships with leading healthcare providers to ensure TCI patients referred overseas receive the highest standards of clinical care and patient support. In the Cayman Islands, our mission was two-fold: to study the operations of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority as a model to guide the establishment of our own Health Services Authority, and to strengthen ties with Cayman-based treatment partners, where many of our patients are referred under the Treatment Abroad Programme. Both visits underscored that small island states share many health challenges, and that collaboration, innovation, and adapting best practices to our local context are essential to achieving better health outcomes for our people.”
Florida – Strengthening the Treatment Abroad Programme
MoHHS Team with Cayman Minsterial officials
During the period August 5–9, the delegation visited Broward Medical Center, University of Miami Health System, Cleveland Clinic, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, and the International Reinsurance Managers Network. They also toured REVA Air Ambulance Services to review medical evacuation operations and patient transfer management. Discussions centered on patient care pathways, specialized services in ophthalmology, cardiology, oncology, and pediatrics, family-centered care models, advanced telemedicine for pre- and post-treatment consultations, and reinsurance strategies for high-cost overseas cases. Key outcomes include agreements to expand telehealth consultations, develop a standardized referral package to reduce delays, explore reinsurance arrangements to safeguard public health budgets, and establish specialized pediatric transfer protocols.
Cayman Islands – Health Sector Reform and Treatment Abroad Partnerships
From August 10–13, the delegation engaged with senior executives at Health City Cayman Islands, including Dr. Binoy Chattuparambil (Clinical Director), Shomari Scott (Chief Business Development Officer), Rebecca Brooks (Head of Marketing and Sales), and Ingrid Harris (Sales and Marketing). The team toured two hospital facilities and held in-depth discussions with Lizzette Yearwood, Chief Executive Officer along with leadership staff of the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority
The focus was two-fold:
- Health Sector Reform – Examining governance, financial management, and operational structures of the Cayman Islands HSA model
MoHHS Team with CEO and senior official Cayman HSA
to inform TCI’s development of its own Health Services Authority.
- Treatment Abroad Strengthening – Reviewing current referral arrangements with Cayman healthcare partners to enhance patient care coordination and improve treatment pathways for TCI patients referred to Cayman.
The delegation also met with Honourable Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Minister for Health, Environment, Sustainability, and Honourable G. Wayne Panton, Parliamentary Secretary for Health. The team concluded with a meeting with Acting Premier Hon. Gary B. Rutty and Cabinet members, reaffirming the shared commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes through regional collaboration.
Next Steps
The Ministry will incorporate lessons learned from these visits into ongoing health reform planning, ensuring that the proposed Health Services Authority is tailored to TCI’s needs while reflecting regional best practices. Efforts will continue to ensure that the Treatment Abroad Programme delivers efficient, sustainable, and patient-centered care.
