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VI Quarantine Authority activated in response to Coronavirus

- Health & Social Development Minister, Hon Carvin Malone says state agencies will collude to enhance surveillance
The local Quarantine Authority in the Virgin Islands (VI) has been activated as a precautionary measure in response to the 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak happening in China, with cases confirmed in other counties like Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, the US, and France. Photo: Getty Images
According to a Government Information Service release, the activity of the authority was initiated by the Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) who has oversight of health-related matters facing the VI. Photo: VINO/File
According to a Government Information Service release, the activity of the authority was initiated by the Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) who has oversight of health-related matters facing the VI. Photo: VINO/File
Wuhan: The Chinese mega-city at the center of coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Internet Source
Wuhan: The Chinese mega-city at the center of coronavirus outbreak. Photo: Internet Source
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI - The local Quarantine Authority in the Virgin Islands (VI) has been activated as a precautionary measure in response to the 2019 novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak happening in China, with cases confirmed in other counties like Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, the US, and France.

According to a Government Information Service release, the activity of the authority was initiated by the Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) who has oversight for health-related matters facing the VI.

"The authority is chaired by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Irad Potter and consists of six additional members who represent the Department of Agriculture, BVI Ports Authority, BVI Airports Authority, BVI Health Services Authority, Environmental Health Division and the Immigration Department," the release noted.

More agencies will work together - Hon Malone 

Honourable Malone, in a statement on January 28, 2020, said other agencies such as the Department of Information, the Department of Disaster Management, Her Majesty's Prison, Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Fire and Rescue and Immigration and Customs are also working in close consultation to provide enhanced surveillance of acute respiratory infections.

The group will also work to increase education and awareness on the 2019 novel coronavirus, provide recommendations on preventative measures such as hand-washing, respiratory hygiene and environmental sanitation, to encourage the use of personal equipment by health workers and to conduct training programmes and implement advanced processes for the effective management of ill passengers at primary ports of entry.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Potter had previously said: “We will remain on the alert as this new coronavirus belongs to the same family as less severe diseases like the common cold and more severe diseases, like the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)- the latter which killed over 800 people worldwide in 2003."

He said current information indicates that transmission is via human-to-human, for example, via respiratory droplets from sneezes and coughs and may also be contracted indirectly, through touching contaminated surfaces.

China health authorities indicated the virus is contracted through the mouth, eyes and nose via the respiratory droplets.

Less than 3k confirmed cases - WHO 

Government Information Service (GIS) stated that, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of January 28, there were 2798 confirmed cases of patients with pneumonia caused by the new strain of coronavirus. Outside of China, at least 11 more countries have confirmed at least one case among travellers who visited Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the outbreak.

Hon Malone said that additional measures are being forged with air and seaports authorities, along with health officials from regional island nations, that tourist commonly transit to get to the Territory.

“This measure is being taken so as to determine if adequate protocols are being practised in these island nations so as to avoid the occurrence of transmittal or delivery to our shores,” he said.

 

 

 

6 Responses to “VI Quarantine Authority activated in response to Coronavirus”

  • pat (29/01/2020, 19:55) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Better be safe than sorry!
  • Nancy (29/01/2020, 21:15) Like (23) Dislike (0) Reply
    And if the virus come here none of them will be ready.
  • lol (30/01/2020, 01:58) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    strupes....he cant even control the smoke down pockwood pond and here talking about quarantine?..strupes
  • Progress (30/01/2020, 09:13) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    @lol you are so damn stupid and illiterate, the smoke issue has been going on for years, in fact decades and now you want it to be solved in seven months. People like you just live your life just to hate on people but guess what? When you're busy hating and not bringing solutions life will just pass you by. Remember he met the smoke problem, the open burning and as far as i know he have made several initiatives and moves to discontinue that 3rd world practice. The issue now is the Corona Virus and it,s his duty as it falls under his portfolio to put preventative measures in place to protect us as a people and a country
  • When it’s too late (31/01/2020, 06:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    In just a month, the Coronavirus jumped from 200-300 to 9,600 infected cases as of January 30th. When are we going to take proper action? The answer looks like: When it’s Too Late. We are an island of 30,000 people we need to take the severity of this disease seriously! I understand the worry for our economy if tourism is closed off early but yesterday I saw three cruise ship, which easily means over 12 thousands visitors and we have no system in place to check them, not that it matters because the virus can live in the system with no symptoms for up to 14 days. We need to hear what the plan is if cases rise in Europe so that our small island can stay protected in the long run. We can’t wait for cases to rise in the U.S. to make a decision because we get tourists in from Europe by the thousands a week right now and they are discovering their first cases as we speak. A plan needs to be shared as to when we will Look at this as a direct problem to our island and what our response should be when that time comes so we Can prepare for that moment like a civilized community and not a bunch of savage victims who fight each other for groceries like we saw post Irma. Create a plan. Share it. Prepare your people.


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