65 discharged from quarantine in Tobago

Sixty-five people, the majority of whom were put in mandatory quarantine for the coronavirus (covid19), have been discharged.

The group had returned to Tobago ahead of the Government’s March 23 ban on all international flights in an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus locally.

Acting county medical officer of health Dr Tiffany Hoyte made the disclosure on Thursday during a virtual news conference, hosted by the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development, at the Scarborough Library.

“The number of people that have completed quarantine at the division’s facilities would be 65. So, just to note, all 65 persons at the quarantine facilities have been discharged,” she said.

Hoyte said while in quarantine, five people had developed symptoms and were tested.

Two test results came back positive for covid19 and three were negative.

Hoyte, a member of Tobago’s covid19 task force, said to date 85 samples from Tobago have been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency for testing.

“This percentage per capita is actually more than twice the amount submitted in Trinidad.”

She added: “The number of samples that tested positive from these samples would be five and the number of deaths recorded in Tobago is one.”

On Tobago’s fourth confirmed covid19 patient, Hoyte said the person was picked up during “mop-up operations.”

“So, for persons who had returned from international travel and had managed to slip through the domestic airbridge, because they returned via Piarco and then came back to Tobago via the domestic bridge, we ran some mop-up operations to find and to monitor these persons.”

Hoyte said on arriving in Tobago, the individual went into quarantine, away from family.

“When they were found, they were closely monitored by the surveillance unit.”

She added the individual was later tested after developing symptoms.

“The test results came back positive for coivid19. That person has since been transferred to Trinidad for continued management.”

Hoyte said Tobago’s fifth case was a close contact of one of the confirmed covid19 cases.

This patient has been sent to Trinidad for treatment.