The Nassau Gaurdian April 2, 2020
Fifty health care workers are in isolation after having been exposed to COVID-19, Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis announced yesterday.
“Let me be very clear and to the point,” he said.
“So far, more than 50 health care workers have had to be taken out of the system because of exposure to the virus.”
He added, “I will do everything in my power to protect the health and lives of our health care professionals and workers.
“Every health care professional fighting COVID-19 and protecting our general health, are a part of the flesh and blood of our community.
“[T]hey must be protected for their own sake and for ours.”
Minnis made the comments as he announced that there are now 21 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country, with one death among them.
Minnis said the doctors were exposed without realizing that their patients had COVID-19. He said all health officials must treat all patients as if they have the virus.
“You would know that you would have visited a doctor’s office from time to time,” he said.
“A doctor would not know that individual is positive and he would do all of his procedures and examinations as required and would subsequently find out at a later date that the patient that he operated on or saw was COVID-positive, which means that now, he must be quarantined and all those he has been in contact with.
“And that’s why we’re asking medical professionals to treat every patient as if they are COVID-positive.”
Minnis said the government is looking for volunteers to assist health care workers.
“To add to our citizen army and to help free some of our health care professionals from other duties, we are asking for volunteers to help the country in this hour of need,” he said.
“A volunteer hotline is being set up to register individuals who are interested in contributing to this fight against COVID-19. We will soon provide more details on this.”
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