COVID outbreak at police staff college

The St Catherine Health Department is expressing concern over a COVID-19 outbreak at the police staff college in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.

The health department sampled some 280 junior and senior recruits and instructors, of which 47 of the batch, including two instructors were found to be positive for COVID-19, the Ministry of Health and Wellness revealed in a press statement late Friday. The Health Department has since ordered that the section of the campus be quarantined and the positive patients isolated for further observation.

Medical Officer of Health for St Catherine, Dr Francine Prosper Chen, said that in the coming days, the health department would be conducting tests on around 400 instructors, medical and ground staff members on campus.

"We are working with the academy’s medical team to monitor the positive cases and at the same time ensure that the infection prevention and control measures are keenly observed at the academy,” Prosper Chen said.

Parish Chief Public Health Inspector Grayson Hutchinson told The Gleaner that his team was monitoring the situation and "conducting testing and contact tracing to determine the extent of the outbreak”.

The total number of confirmed cases, as of December 8, 2020, is 2,475, of which 31 are new positive cases. There are currently 143 active cases, with Spanish Town having 63, the highest number; followed by Portmore with 31. The additional cases are split between Linstead and Old Harbour,” he said.

He said that Bog Walk was now under the health department’s radar after a family was diagnosed with the virus.

He further disclosed that no positive cases were found at the parish’s 33 nursing homes, including the Spanish Town Infirmary, after all staff and residents were tested.

Up to Wednesday, Jamaica had recorded 11,443 cases of COVID-19 and at least 270 deaths.

Ruddy Mathison