Preparations have been put in place and protocols established to manage persons in quarantine and isolation because of the COVID-19 virus, should a weather system threaten Barbados.
Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr. Anton Best, outlined the preparations as he addressed the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season press conference at the General Post Office conference room yesterday morning.
Noting that persons who are sick will remain in isolation facilities, Dr. Best explained that there were two categories of quarantine – those who are in their homes, and those who are at quarantine facilities at Paragon, Christ Church and at the St. Lucy District Hospital.
He explained that should a system threaten the island, those in quarantine facilities will remain there, while those under home quarantine will only be allowed to stay if they are not deemed as vulnerable.
“Those persons will have to ride out a complete 14-day process from the point of exposure. And just as a reminder, those are persons who are not sick,” he emphasized.
Dr. Best further noted that efforts were ongoing to ensure that the quarantine and isolation facilities were “hurricane ready”.