Linstead | MP closes constituency office; workers tested amid covid scare
March 16, 2021The four people who work inside the St. Catherine North-West constituency office are in quarantine and their workplace closed until Monday (March 22) to facilitate sanitization.
Member of Parliament Hugh Graham told The Beacon that the action is out of an abundance of caution after the office was exposed to a case of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
He explained that a person from the Linstead area tested positive for the virus after visiting his constituency office located at 41 Fletcher’s Avenue in Linstead, St. Catherine.
“Someone visited the office and was tested positive. The staff are not showing any symptoms, but you know that people can be asymptomatic, and also there is a period from the contraction of COVID to the time that you start showing the symptom.
“So, out of an abundance of caution, all the office staff went to have their tests done and, as recommended by the medical personnel, they self-isolate until they have received the result which comes like three or four days later. It is just trying to be responsible and not taking any chances,” Graham further said.
He also outlined the sequence of events leading up to the closure of his constituency office. “The person [that visited the office] did the test last week Monday (March 8) and got the result on Thursday, and we were advised on Friday, and the staff went to have their test done Monday morning,” Graham added.
He also used the opportunity to urge persons to take the necessary precautions to lessen their chances of contracting COVID-19.
“You have to respect COVID, because the hospitals are under pressure. As you know, Linstead [Public Hospital], like the rest of hospitals, in the best of times, is crowded. Now, with COVID, it is worse. So, we can’t take any chances,” he further commented.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness, up to Sunday (March 14), was reporting that the island so far recorded a total of 31,305 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
There are 15,325 active cases.
The number of people confirmed to have died of the virus locally up to Sunday was 492.
The ministry said 15,253 people have recovered.
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