COVID-19 outbreak at Scarborough General Hospital

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A COVID-19 outbreak at the Psychiatric Ward of the Scarborough General Hospital resulted in it being temporarily shut down for sanitisation.

The Tobago Regional Health Authority said five patients and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19, while a sixth patient was placed into quarantine pending the results of a PCR test. The five patients were transferred to Tobago’s COVID-19 treatment facility at Fort King George, where mental health treatment will continue while the staff member was sent into home isolation.

The authority noted that protocols have been implemented, inclusive of contact tracing and services will resume on the ward today (January 22).

Meanwhile, the TRHA also said all out-patient clinics, which were suspended in December due to high COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations, will resume at the Scarborough General Hospital on Monday (January 24).

The authority said, “Though the island still has a high number of cases, the number of COVID-19 positive patients requiring hospitalisation has decreased. As such, services can now be resumed.”

They also explained that the out-patient clinic space is in the process of being deep cleaned and sanitised to ensure that patients enter a clean and safe environment on Monday.

As of 4 pm yesterday, there were 58 people in Tobago’s COVID-19 hospital facilities, with the intensive care unit at 100 per cent capacity.