The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter
lrolle@tribunemedia.net 

NORTH and Central Abaco Administrator Terrece Bootle-Laing and around ten staff members are in quarantine after being exposed to COVID-19 earlier this week.

The administrator told The Tribune Wednesday that an employee of the office tested positive for the virus. This sparked the closure of the Administrator’s office in Central Abaco until further notice.

The employee, Ms Laing said, was temporarily employed at her office. 

The patient, she said, tested positive for the virus earlier this week and is currently being treated in New Providence. However, Mrs Bootle-Laing could not say whether the patient was in hospital in the capital. 

“We had a temporary staff in office who is confirmed positive so as a result of that, we have had to close the office for deep cleaning and self-quarantine of staff to be monitored,” she told The Tribune. “We’re in the process of identifying a contractor who can assist us with the deep cleaning exercise.

“…Currently, we have at least 10 of my staff in quarantine.”

She added that she was also in quarantine.

“We kind of expected that should someone present themselves who would’ve had any feelings whether in the workplace or business dealings with us, that would’ve been the result.”

According to the latest COVID-19 dashboard, the Abaco chain now has 30 confirmed cases, making it the island with the fourth largest number of COVID-19 cases. 

Two new cases were recorded on the island by health officials yesterday.

Mrs Bootle-Laing said the worker was recorded as a case on the island. She said officials still plan to work and carry out their duties while under quarantine.

“The office will be closed until further notice and so as best as we can, only emergencies, we will assist people electronically from remotely. Most of our undertaking in business can be done electronically which is a good thing,” she added.

The administrator’s office is located in the government’s complex on the island, which was used as a shelter for hundreds of Dorian victims during and after the deadly storm. 

Several government agencies are still working from the local complex to assist storm victims on the island. 

Asked if the entire government complex would need to be cleaned due to possible COVID-19 exposure, she replied: “Not necessarily because the worker is a temporary (staff) and they were substituting for a permanent staff and so it is just after the public health team to link the movement through information from the individual, link their movement throughout the government complex and that is what they have undertaking to trace what department they would have dealt with and what environment they would’ve worked in .”

This is a developing story.