COVID-19 positive people will soon be allowed to visit their relatives at the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility.
Head of Isolation Facilities and Infectious Disease Specialist, The Most Honourable Dr. Corey Forde, made the announcement on Thursday, during a press conference at Ilaro Court.
He said: “We met as a team and discussed … some sort of visitation for people. [It] is difficult when your relative is in isolation, and yes, you may have a video call, … but it is difficult. So, what we’ve come up with, certainly as a team, and this can be a very structured process.”
The Head of Isolation Facilities stated that the process would start from Monday, February 21, with visits being allowed only to Primary Isolation.
“We will allow if you have a positive person … in Primary Isolation A, we will start off like that, and then we’ll see how we can progress. I think it is good to start and then expand, as opposed to go too fast and then you get yourself in trouble.
“So, we’ll start in Primary Isolation, where we have our most sick persons in the facility…. What we are going to do, is allow if you’re a positive individual at this time and you have a family member in there, who’s gravely ill, we’re going to allow you to visit, but in a very structured fashion,” he explained.
Additionally, Dr. Forde outlined the process for bringing in positive persons to speak with their family members and doctors, noting that a small group of individuals will be allowed to do so.
“We will bring you to the facility and we will take you back because you’re still in isolation. So, we don’t want you running about or catching a bus for example, or driving a car to Harrison’s Point….
“So, we will bring you in in a structured way and this will be communicated through our Client Relations Department, which is a very active department…. They will communicate with you … a time in the afternoon, and we will take at least four visits for four different individuals to the facility,” he explained.
Dr. Forde also emphasised that COVID-19 negative persons would not be brought to the isolation facility. “We’re not bringing negative people in the facility, it is too risky, as well. We call Harrison’s Point the hot zone. So, I think it’d be very risky…. I think we’re trying to do it safely, and we look at how it goes and maybe that may change. But I think we start here and then we see how it goes,” he stated.