Contact tracing under way after hospital patient tests positive for COVID-19

Jason Cross, Gleaner Writer

Two employees of Andrews Memorial Hospital in St Andrew are to undergo testing for COVID-19 after a patient was confirmed with the virus.

While at Andrews Memorial, the patient exhibited pneumonia-like symptoms and was later transferred to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and found to be COVID-19-positive.

In an interview with The Gleaner, Chairman of Andrews Memorial Pastor Everett Brown stated that if the Government allowed private hospitals to test for COVID-19, the patient could have been diagnosed much earlier before going to the UHWI.

Brown underscored that the hospital is well equipped to test for the virus.

"Andrews, as a private hospital, is not permitted to do testing. Only government-owned facilities can do testing. We have the equipment to do the testing but we are not permitted to do it. The hospital admitted the patient sometime last week with pneumonia.

"The person was transferred, where the person was subsequently tested for COVID-19. Presently, they are doing contact tracing with the persons who would have come in contact with the person at Andrews," he said.

According to Brown, operations at the hospital are running smoothly and sought to assure that there is no panic at the institution, contrary to what some workers have reported.

"There is no panic. They are operating normally. I can't say anything more because I am not a medical person," Brown said.

However, an employee, who asked to remain anonymous, alleged that the female patient was in contact with other patients and multiple staff members while at Andrews Memorial Hospital.

The employee also claimed that the ward the patient was on is still operational, without staff members being placed in quarantine.

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