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Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 17, 2020 (SKNIS): As the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to further safeguard itself from the COVID-19 virus, quarantining remains at a government facility.

This was announced by the Medical Chief of Staff at the JNF General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, during his appearance on the Leadership Matters virtual form series on July 14.

“Initially when we were addressing this pandemic, persons were being quarantined at home, but we had problems with persons not taking the personal responsibility and obeying the rules of quarantine,” he said.

“We were getting calls about seeing persons downtown, on the beaches, etc. when they were supposed to be in quarantine and that is one of the reasons why in order to contain the virus, we had to move to strict quarantine, putting persons in a government facility so that we can properly manage these persons,” said Dr. Wilkinson.

He said, “It would be impossible for us to have 50 persons quarantined at home and having to have our security forces stretched in 50 different locations to ensure that these persons stay in quarantine.”

“We are again looking at the quarantine and looking to see whether or not we can extend the quarantine facilities,” said the Medial Chief of Staff.

“You would be aware that the students who were repatriated for Ross University, they are quarantined at the school in the housing complex and it is very easy for us to have security guards at that one complex where you can monitor over a hundred persons in one area,” he said. 

“If we are going to be looking at home quarantine, the place would have to be visited first by the health officials to see whether or not there is sufficient room inside that dwelling so that persons can properly quarantine themselves,” Dr. Wilkinson highlighted.

“They would be looking at the population density within that house because one cannot come into a family suspected of being COVID positive and being quarantined in a two bedroom house when there are ten persons living within there,” he said.

“So, we will have to look at the facility to see whether someone can quarantine within that facility,” said the Medical Chief of Staff.

“These are things that are being discussed but no decisions are being made on them as yet,” he said. “Hopefully going forward with the personal responsibility that we are expecting persons to take and if persons obey the quarantine rules, we would be able to expand the number of places where persons can be quarantined.”
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