While 30 individuals have been placed in quarantine, 2 others have been criminally charged in connection with Grenada’s 25th Covid-19 positive case who breached regulations by departing from the quarantine facility without authorisation from the relevant authorities.
“As of this morning based on the one positive case who escaped from quarantine, we have 13 direct individuals and 17 indirect individuals that have been put in isolation/quarantine as a result. We will keep these individuals in quarantine and observation for at least 4 days before we test them to see if they were exposed or infected by the individual,” Health Minister, Nickolas Steele, said when he provided an update on the matter.
On Monday, Dr Shawn Charles, Acting Chief Medical Officer, announced the confirmation of case number 25. The 32-year-old male from the village of Tivoli, St Andrew entered Grenada via an Air Canada flight on 5 October.
As mandated in regulations, he was temporarily residing in a safe quarantine facility in the south of the island until he received the on-island PCR test. However, after he was swabbed by health officials, he departed the facility before receiving his result. By the time health officials checked to inform him of his positive status, it was realised he had left the facility accompanied by 2 other persons.
He is the first person whose result was positive, to breach quarantine. He was picked up by the authorities at his home in Tivoli but had already attended a mass social gathering event which was not granted permission by the authorities.
The maximum fine for breach of the regulations is EC$10,000.
Steele said that the persons who assisted the young man in breaching the Covid-19 regulation have been charged. “The other individuals that caused a breach in quarantine, I am told by the Commissioner that they have been charged, so too is one other from Monday morning for attempting to breach protocol,” he said.
The Minister said that it appears some people are of the belief that they were not aware that they did not have to remain at the safe facility until the all-clear is given by a health official, but could depart once the PCR swab is conducted.
“The entry protocol says it’s for a minimum of 4 days not until you are swabbed,” he said while explaining that quarantine can go beyond 4 days, but the least number of days for quarantine is 4.
The breach in quarantine has caused the ministry to relook at properties that are offered as safe quarantine facilities, and the possibility exists for some to be delisted because of security concerns.
Source: Now Grenada