The Tribune

MORE than 800 people are in quarantine on the island of Grand Bahama, which continues to lead in recorded COVID-19 cases in the country.

The island recorded 22 new cases yesterday, bringing its count to 320 confirmed cases, the largest in the country.

According to hospital administrator Sharon Williams, 868 residents were in quarantine and isolation throughout the island as of last Thursday. She expected that figure to change as testing continues.

Quarantine is the period of time that must elapse before those exposed to or infected by a contagious disease can be considered as incapable respectively of developing or transmitting the disease.

The number, she explained, also includes people who travelled outside the country after July 1 when travel restrictions were lifted.

“We would have been working hard as usual… and of course, those figures would have changed,” she said during a press briefing last week at the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness, Management and Reconstruction ahead of Hurricane Isaias’ landfall.

Ms Williams commended staff for “diligence, commitment, and consistent work” in the Grand Bahama community. “Our staff has been working extra hard for months ever since Dorian,” she added.

During the initial outbreak from March to May, Grand Bahama only had eight recorded cases. There was a lull in new cases for two months, until July 1 when travel restrictions were lifted and the island’s case count began to soar.

Many of the island’s residents travelled to South Florida, a hotspot for coronavirus infections. The state has one of the highest COVID-19 infections and deaths in the US.

In an effort to stop the spread, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis recently ordered a two-week lockdown for Grand Bahama and a curfew. Residents are only allowed to go to food stores, pharmacies, and gas stations. Last Monday, hardware stores were allowed to open so residents could prepare for Isaias.