Last Updated on April 19, 2020, 6:40 AM AST by Anthony Morris
A patient from the Turks and Caicos Islands was allowed to enter Jamaica earlier this week because the patient had an urgent medical emergency and he tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.
A senior government official confirmed this information.
The official said that the patient was allowed to enter Jamaica for a life-saving procedure and he further explained that all the protocols had been adhered to for obtaining the required exemption from the current order which restricts the incoming passenger traffic into Jamaica.
It has been informed that currently, the patient is at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) after the procedure has been completed and he has since tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.
As a result of test results coming back positive, the head of surgery at the hospital has been quarantined.
It could not be immediately determined as to how many other health workers are now been kept in quarantine after the patient was tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.
The patient was earlier this week transferred to the UHWI after arriving at Kingston’s Norman Manley International on an air ambulance.
Also, some time ago he was also in Jamaica for a medical procedure at the UHWI.
However, it is being understood that the patient required further surgical attention which was not currently available in the TCI.
Recently, a group of Jamaican ship workers aboard the Marella Discovery 2 were not allowed landing because of the restrictions on passenger traffic.
The Prime Minister has said that he had learned about the matter a day after the ship had anchored to the south of Port Royal, and by the time he knew about it, it had already left.
However, the national security and foreign affairs ministries said in a joint statement that they had surmised the captain had left because he could not be guaranteed a landing.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
