Four Hotel Staff Left Out Of Official COVID-19 Count

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MolwynJoseph

Health Minister Molwyn Joseph has been explaining why the four hotel staff who reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend were let out of the official statistics.

He told ABS last night that this was done in order to validate the results obtained by Dr Joey John.

“Well we have to maintain the integrity of our data and we will not include any data for any positive case unless it is validated by the PCR test. As you’re aware, both PAHO and WHO have given guidelines in terms of the tests they recommend  that’s used in the Caribbean. We’re maintaining the gold standard, which is the PCR test.”

Between June 25 and June 29 2020, the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment received results from 55 samples that were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).

Of the 55 samples sent to CARPHA, two returned positive. The first was a repeat test in a previously known positive case who remains positive. The second positive result is a new case in a minor with a travel history from the Dominican Republic.

This test was delayed since it was done on a minor and parental consent was required. This additional case as well as all positive cases remain in isolation. This brings the total number of laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Antigua and Barbuda to 66.

The Ministry wishes to advise that the Mount St. John’s Medical Center has begun testing independently for COVID 19 while maintaining a relationship with CARPHA which serves as a reference lab to maintain a high level of proficiency. Of note is that over the period June 27 to 28 2020, the laboratory at the Mount St. John’s Medical Center conducted RNA PCR COVID-19 testing on 43 Cubans who were being repatriated.

Of these 43 samples, 39 were negative. Four were indeterminate and have been sent to CARPHA for further testing.

The Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment, the Honourable Molwyn Joseph, expresses deep appreciation to Dr. Lester Simon and his staff for achieving independent laboratory capacity to meet the requirement of more testing in Antigua and Barbuda.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health Wellness and the Environment is in the process of revising the dashboard and the new rendition will be released on 1st July 2020.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. This minister called molwyn Joseph is a fully educated dunce! As well as these other politicians in our country they do not care about the well being of the people of this country because if they did care,this wouldn’t be an issue if a chief medical doctor pronounces the presence of covid in a particular hotel staff to protect the lives of others and they’re trying to cover it up this should be made known to everyone who has it from who doesn’t have it to avoid any interaction with infected persons but this is the government of Antiguaand Barbuda where even the criminal covid gets to commit crime and they keep it hush hush like how they deal with the country everything is a hush hush they don’t need to know let’s slowly get rid of them they say to one another in Parliament! Blind antiguans not barbudans when are you going to stand up and fight!?

  2. The hotel workers had to get the done by Joey John because, you all didnt have any tests available n was sending them home to quarantine n infect their families

    You all just playing politics and dont know how to do anything else, but be politicians, even with people’s lives at stake.

    My first paragragh is a fact

  3. So why he didn’t speak about docs tests first time? Why he didn’t say they were checking them? He wants gold standard tests only like by Paho and WHO but then says they are doing independent tests at MSJh. This is a big crisis in every country and you think people are stupid?

  4. What about those that are bound to their rooms at Sandals??? There are a lot these people are not saying!!

  5. Molwyn Joseph needs to retire. He is puppet for the administration. This government is too deceitful

  6. MJ goes Dr and says, my elbow hurts. Dr. Says, show me. MJ shows him his ass. Moral? MJ doesn’t know his ass from his elbow. Am I the only one who’s had enough of this bla bla bla..?

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