The Ministry of Health has dispatched a quick response team to Baramita, Barima-Waini (Region One) to conduct COVID-19 tests, following reports of a spike in that community.
The ministry identified 17 COVID-19 cases during an exercise in Baramita last weekend.
Subject minister, Dr Frank Anthony said the team comprises medical personnel and officers attached to Operation COVI-CURB. Members are conducting tests, sanitising public spaces, and advising residents about how to prevent transmission of the disease.
“We are going to continue to look at areas of interests and repeat the same exercise because the normal way of how we treat and gather information, sometimes we don’t have enough persons in particular areas, but we might have an interest in those area. So, we are now developing these teams that can be deployed to those areas to get a better sense of what is happening,” he said, during in Wednesday’s COVID-19 update.
Health officials are utilising the antigen test kits in Baramita, which Dr Anthony said, have worked very well. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were also administered.
“So, the combination of the two has really given us the good assessment of the epidemiological situation in those areas.”
In October, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips launched Operation COVI-CURB, an initiative by the National COVID-19 Task Force, to ensure compliance with the gazetted COVID-19 emergency measures. (Modified from DPI)
