Senior health officials in the Ministry of Health and Social Development have come forward stating that an error was made in the issuing of a Quarantine Clearance letter to a visitor on March 25th after conducting a test the day before on March 24th.
Senior Health officials in speaking to our agency stated that upon realizing the that inaccurate clearance letter was sent to the visitor, the individual was immediately contacted, the document was retracted and the individual was made aware of their positive status and instructed to remain in quarantine.
The visitor then requested confirmation testing and received two additional (2) positive test as of Friday March 26th, one day prior to the funeral however, was determined to attend the funeral service and officials say went against their orders and attended the funeral despite their instructions.
Officials say that a commission and an internal review will be conducted to discern further what transpired.
News of the positive test that would have exposed residents became known when on Sunday March Health officials from the Ministry of Health in the British Virgin Islands issued a statement informing the public that persons who attended a local funeral on Saturday March 27th should isolate and get tested.
The statement read, “Ministry of Health is notifying the public that a person who tested positive for COVID-19 attended a funeral held on Saturday March 27th, 2021 at the Sea Cow’s Bay Methodist Church. All persons who attended the funeral should isolate for 10 days and contact the Public Health Unit from Monday, 29th March, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to schedule your test. There is no payment associated with testing.”
Additionally, stating that, persons who had their vaccine 4 weeks ago, will not be required to quarantine. The correspondence further strongly recommend that unvaccinated persons get their vaccine as soon as possible as to “prevent” persons from getting Covid-19 or seriously ill from COVID-19, which caused many residents to come to the conclusion that this was in some way a scare tactic.