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Desmond McKenzie and Professor Winston Davidson
News has emerged that a resident of the Vineyard Town Golden Age Home in St. Andrew and a resident of the St. Elizabeth infirmary have died from COVID-19.
Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie confirmed the deaths Wednesday morning in an interview with Radio Jamaica News.
"Well, it is very unfortunate that the first individual who contracted the virus at Vineyard Town has died. There is another death that has occurred and that is of a resident who was admitted to the Black River Hospital. He was placed in isolation and a COVID test conducted on him on the 7th, and on the 9th, the test came back positive and he was removed the same day from isolation and was placed back in the Black River Hospital and he subsequently died," Mr. McKenzie revealed.
The Health Ministry last week reported a cluster of COVID cases at the Vineyard Town Golden Age Home.
The discovery was made during surveillance of senior citizens' homes and infirmaries.
Urgent response needed
Public health specialist Professor Winston Davidson said the death at the Vineyard Town Golden Age Home requires an urgent response from the health authorities.
"If somebody in the Golden Age Home died, then it means that somebody has infected that person from outside; in other words, one of the persons who have served in that particular home. It means that what is going to be necessary is that you need to do the necessary testing and of course to determine exactly who is positive because there are other persons in the Golden Age Home that are positive, and try to start with contact tracing, try and see exactly where this person comes from," he suggested.