01 April 2020

COVID-19 Public Update

KEMH update:

Members of the public will be aware that we have had a young child as an inpatient in the hospital on a ventilator with Covid-19 type symptoms. We are pleased to report that we have now received test results back from the UK and she does not have Covid-19 which is welcome news.

She has been diagnosed with a different but serious viral respiratory infection for which she has been receiving treatment. We can report that as of this morning she has come off the ventilator and is breathing of her own accord which again is good news, although she remains seriously unwell.

Yesterday we received test results for 29 specimens sent to the UK – all of which were negative.

We await results on a further 30 specimens which we are hoping will be available later today.

Further specimens will be returning on the next Airbridge scheduled to leave for UK.

A patient was admitted with COVID-19 like respiratory problems from MPA yesterday following a chest x-ray and is being looked after as a precautionary measure in the isolation area of the hospital. The patient is not being ventilated. Specimens have been taken and will be sent back to the UK for testing.

KEMH can also confirm that a fisherman was flown out by medevac to Chile yesterday with a severe hand injury which requires highly specialist complex surgery.

Keeping our sea links strong:

The Falkland Islands Government can confirm that the normal shipping services supplying goods to the Falkland Islands remain in place and understands that major suppliers are expecting new stock to arrive in April as planned.

Further orders also expected to arrive on future scheduled shipping dates. Although some items are currently unavailable locally due to unusual purchasing patterns, the majority of stock is at normal levels, which for most major suppliers is sufficient to fulfil 1 to 3 months expected sales.

Local suppliers already operate at the end of a long supply chain and are experienced in forecasting demand and managing stock levels several months in advance.

FIG will continue to work closely with the business sector and our logistics partners to ensure our supply links remain strong.

Business support:

FIG recognizes that the current set of measures in relation to private sector workers and the self-employed are time limited and mostly targeted at providing income for those who are sick, quarantined or asked to stay home under certain circumstances.

FIG is currently working on a further package of measures to assist the private sector both generally and in terms of the effects on specific sectors.

We hope to be in a position to make an announcement within the next few days that will address general issues affecting the private sector with sector specific responses following at a later date.

Working with the Chamber of Commerce, FIG has now surveyed the business community about how the situation is affecting them, and this is proving useful in developing appropriate policy responses.

On Thursday the Government will set out and publish how claims to the Government for eligible wage costs can be submitted by businesses and the self-employed.

Airbridge:

The next Airbridge is due to arrive in the islands on the evening of Friday 3 April and depart early hours of the morning on Sunday 5 April.

The Falkland Islands Government will continue to work with the MoD to ensure that key essential passengers including medical staff are able to still travel over this period.

Please see below under AIRBRIDGE for further longer-term information about future Airbridge operations.

Volunteers are signing up:

The new Community Volunteers programme is attracting strong support. Co-ordinator Vicky Collier says 26 people contacted the team on just its first day yesterday.

You can see further details of how to help lower down in this Update.

• Advice around the Falkland Islands Government’s COVID-19 response can change. Please watch out for further statements from the Government in local media and through the FIG and Community Facebook pages, the web page www.fig.gov.fk/covid-19 and other channels.

GET COVID-19 SMART

It is highly important that COVID-19 advice is followed.

This is especially so for anyone in the community who is advised to self-isolate. This is a very tangible and effective way you can play your part and keep yourself and our community safe.

Our guidance on social distancing is also very important to follow. It helps reduce the chance of COVID-19 being passed from person to person. There are information sheets available on fig.gov.fk/covid-19 and watch out for our Facebook handy messages.

CURRENT GUIDANCE ON ESSENTIAL WORK CATEGORIES

We are currently advising everyone to reduce all non-essential activities until further notice; everyone should stay at home where they can, and work from home where possible.

Essential activities, at this stage, include critical and key work, where this cannot be done from home.

Essential work categories are available on our www.fig.gov.fk/covid-19 website under the 26 March update.

If you are unclear about where your function or activities sit please contact the Secretariat on 28450.