CG Insurance has secured Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test kits to help the British Virgin Islands move past the pandemic. Photo: Provided

The kits, which are authorised by the MHRA for use in the UK offer a quick and easy way for people to test for the presence of coronavirus.

The kits will be made available at no cost to CG Group Clients to test their employees and their families, as well as CG employees. CG has also identified groups of frontline workers and local charities that will receive the test kits as a donation.

‘Like every resident of BVI, we are very concerned with the strain that coronavirus is placing on BVI’s health care system, particularly at the hospital,’ Ms Beth Frazier, CG’s Chief Operating Officer for Health, said. ‘We brought in these test kits to help people more easily detect the virus, and in turn, avoid the continued spread of Covid-19.’

Rapid Antigen Tests, which can be completed at home in as little as 15 minutes, can help identify the presence of the virus in people who show no symptoms but who are still infectious to others. UK Government pandemic data shows that about 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic but can still infect others.

‘The tests can be used as a personal screening tool to inform a person’s everyday decisions such as whether to visit an elderly relative, go to work or school, attend a party or seek medical advice,’ Ms Frazier said.

If an individual tests positive, they should get a PCR test to confirm the result, contact their physician for guidance and follow BVI Government COVID-19 guidelines. Test reporting can also provide critically important data for tracing the spread of the virus.

‘We all need to step up and play our part in fighting this pandemic,’ Naz Farrow, CG’s Chief Executive Officer, said. ‘This is one more way CG as a people-first company is trying to do its part.

‘When used regularly, these test kits can go a long way toward stopping the spread of the virus. The test results can help people make responsible decisions not just for their own health but also for the people around them, whether they are in the home, on the job or across the community.’

CG Insurance is a member of the Coralisle Group Ltd.