13 November 2020
Update on Covid-19 surveillance swabbing results - 5 and 9 November flights
All passengers from the 5 November flight have now had their initial quarantine surveillance swabs taken and tested. From this round of results only one person tested positive for Covid-19. The individual in question is in quarantine and will continue to receive regular testing. They will not be able to leave their premises until their 14-day quarantine period comes to end and they twice test negative for Covid-19. The testing regime will continue for the remaining passengers during the rest of their quarantine, with the second round of surveillance swabbing for this group taking place on Thursday 12 November, which will then be tested over the course of the coming weekend.
All passengers that arrived on the 9 November flight had their primary surveillance swabs collected on Wednesday 11 November, and the KEMH laboratory is currently processing these samples. One person from this flight has tested positive for Covid-19 to date and further results will be available later on Saturday 14 November.
Following these positive results, track and trace protocol initiatives were immediately implemented by the KEMH to identify people who would have come into contact with the confirmed cases in the three days prior to them developing symptoms and 14 days afterwards. As a result, bus operators have been swabbed and placed in quarantine as a precautionary measure.
KEMH continues to offer community surveillance swabbing (contact
Importantly, these results demonstrate that the systems we have in place to safeguard people are working. The two positive cases have both been confirmed due to surveillance swabbing undertaken during quarantine and both individuals have been in self-isolation since their arrival in the Islands.