-several workers of the facility still in quarantine

DAYS after the deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease claimed the life of a 64-year-old male resident of the Palms Geriatric Home, the facility has recorded its second case of the virus.

The second case was confirmed by an official of the Ministry of Public Health, on Friday evening. Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the second person is a resident of the Palms, who was close to the elderly patient, who died recently from complications attributed to the Coronavirus.

Reports are that the second COVID-19 positive person, who is a diabetic, is being monitored by the authorities. More residents of the facility are being tested for the virus, and this publication understands that additional staff of the unit where the cases have been recorded, have been tested on Friday for COVID-19. Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner, when contacted by this publication, said he was unaware about this development, but was making efforts to confirm it.

Tanner, however, confirmed that staff of the Palms are still in quarantine, awaiting the results of the COVID-19 tests conducting on them. The director had said on Thursday, that once it was found that the 64-year-old man was positive, the Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) deployed a team to commence contact tracing. And, as a result, 12 persons, who were in contact with the 64-year-old man, were placed in quarantine. All 12 of the individuals were persons, who were caring for the elderly man, and did not include other residents of the facility, said Tanner.

“The gentleman, who was bedridden for a while, became ill sometime last week, however, the GPHC (Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation) was contacted and he was taken there, but before he passed on May 1, a test was administered. The results of the test, however, came back on Tuesday evening,” said Tanner in an invited comment, on Thursday.
Tanner said public health authorities have tested the 12 individuals and are awaiting the results and completion of the 14-day incubation period, before either isolating the potentially-infected persons or allowing them to return to work.

While that process is ongoing, the social services director confirmed that public health authorities have also launched an investigation into how the disease reached the facility.
“That is what the public health authorities are doing, so once that is completed I am sure they will be able to determine how he contracted the disease,” said Tanner.

When asked what measures were in place prior to this incident, the director said visitations were suspended since March 30 and all staff members are screened before they enter the facility. Workers are also mandated to wear protective gear while administering care.
Despite those measures, Tanner said it has become difficult to detect signs of the disease because, as reported, persons can be asymptomatic, and this poses a “real challenge” for anyone responsible for the administration of the geriatric home.

“It is difficult for us to identify those persons, so to boost efforts, residents and staff will be screened twice per day, and once the slightest change in temperature is detected or they show a sign or symptom of the disease, we will take necessary action to isolate persons and contact the public health authorities,” said the director. With the reality being that elderly persons are indeed vulnerable to the disease, Tanner advised this section of the population to take extra precautions and practise social distancing, sanitise and eat healthy. Persons caring for the elderly were also advised to observe the necessary protocols because they interact directly with those who are vulnerable.