Probe being conducted to determine how Golden Age home residents contracted COVID-19

The administration of the Golden Age home in Vineyard Town, St. Andrew says it's looking at various scenarios as it tries to determine how more than 40 residents at the facility were exposed to COVID-19.

 

Errol Greene, Chairman of the facility's Board of Directors, told Radio Jamaica News that there were several incidents which could have resulted in the spread of the virus.

 

A breach in COVID-19 protocols at the home is now the focus on an investigation.

 

Health officials and representatives of the Ministry of Local Government had insisted that measures were in place to prevent infection. 

 

Greene told our news centre that the Board of the Vineyard Town Golden Age Home met on Wednesday and was informed of various events in the lead up to the 46 COVID-19 cases at the facility. "For example we are told that an employee was sick, exhibiting signs of COVID-19 when discovered, she was asked to remove herself. We are also told of relatives coming from overseas to funerals who should have quarantined.... We are not sure if that would have caused any of the unfortunate situations."

 

Greene said the residents of the golden age home could also have been infected externally: "Because residents have to leave the home to go to KPH and other medical facilities. But as to the home itself, we have a very very strict rule. The Ministry of Local Government has said earlier this year that we should not allow visitors and we should not permit the free movement of residents in and out of the facilities, that was strictly adhered to," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has shared details of the review process that will take place at the Vineyard Town golden age home following the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

"...Whenever we have these things, we have to look at the systems. There was a good effort to put in place the temperature checks, the sanitisation and so on. There is also the human element, the extent to which persons comply on a daily basis. We will see if there were any breaches or anything that we can improve on, then the followup action will take place," said Tufton, who was speaking on Beyond the Headlines on Wednesday.