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.

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:

1. 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.

2. 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.

Nassau, The Bahamas – In a groundbreaking move for senior care, the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) officially launched the Remember 2 (RM2.ai) Pilot Program on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

The initiative introduces RM2.ai, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform that supports seniors with medication reminders, vital sign monitoring (blood pressure, blood sugar, and hydration levels), and fall prevention. The program also addresses elopement—when seniors with dementia or other cognitive impairments wander or become lost.

As part of the pilot, participants will receive a smartwatch linked to the RM2.ai mobile app. The technology is powered by the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) and will also be available to ALIV customers.

The launch ceremony was held at the PHA training room and Dr. Indira Minus-Grimes, Medical Services Advisor at PHA acted as the Mistress of Ceremony.

Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Health & Wellness, the Hon. Dr. Michael Darville, praised the collaboration behind the project and highlighted its potential impact.

“Seniors are vulnerable due to chronic illnesses and cognitive decline from diseases such as Alzheimer’s,” Dr. Darville said. “They are also highly susceptible to falls, which often result in fractures and a survival rate that decreases by up to 70 per cent. This program will significantly improve the quality of geriatric care in The Bahamas.”

Dr. Darville added that the platform will reduce hospitalizations, ease the burden on caregivers, and give seniors greater autonomy, dignity, and independence.

BTC CEO, Sameer Bhatti, said the company was proud to partner with the PHA, noting BTC’s history of supporting seniors in various capacities.

Corlette Deveaux, CEO of RM2.ai and a Bahamian innovator currently residing in the U.S., expressed her excitement at bringing this first-of-its-kind technology to her home country. She credited investor and senior advocate Burt Patel, himself a senior, for funding the initiative.

At the close of the pilot, healthcare professionals will review data collected to ensure the highest quality of service delivery for seniors.

Also in attendance at the press conference were Deputy Managing Director, PHA, Dr. Keva Thompson; Registrar, Geriatric Hospital, Dr. Krystle Rolle and Manager, Legal Services Unit, Pamela Jones.

(Photo Courtesy of Tamara McKenzie/BTC)