Top Health officials, including Minister, PS and CMO in Covid-19 quarantine

Five members of staff of the Ministry of Health, including three senior officials are now undergoing five days quarantine after having been exposed to a Covid-19 positive person six days ago.

The Ministry of Health in a release said Minister of Health St Clair Prince, Permanent Secretary Cuthbert Knights and Chief Medical Officer Simone Keizer-Beache as well as two members of the administrative staff of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment (MOHWE) “have been advised, out of an abundance of caution, to quarantine for a period of five (5) days ending Saturday January 9, 2021.

“This advice is based on contact tracing initiated during the evening of Tuesday January 5, after the receipt of a positive COVID-19 PCR result by a relative of a MOHWE staff member. The Minister and the four officers of the MOHWE, having been in close contact with the positive individual six (6) days previously, were tested during the evening of January 5 and found to be negative for COVID-19. However, as per protocol for persons exposed to a positive person, they were advised to immediately quarantine.

“The Minister, Permanent Secretary and Chief Medical Officer will continue to work remotely from their quarantine locations,” the release said.