Ministry: Discharge of eligible people from isolation a priority

The backlog of people awaiting discharge from home isolation as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) is being dealt with as a matter of priority by the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

A statement issued by Barbados Government Information Service today said: “Chief Medical Officer, The Most Honourable Dr Kenneth George, said the Ministry was aware of the current distress experienced by many persons who may have recovered from COVID-19 and are awaiting discharge from the home isolation team, especially those who need their documents to return to work.”

George explained that the over 11 000 people in home isolation did not all qualify for discharge as most of them were active COVID-19 cases and still isolating. Currently, the backlog of people who are to be discharged stands at just over 3 000.

Additional resources have been mobilised to manage this rapid increase in positive people, which has resulted from the current Omicron surge.

According to the statement, the ministry is also exploring the implementation of an automated system for dealing with the discharge process so as to further increase efficiency.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness regrets the inconvenience caused and assures the public that the matter is being dealt with expeditiously. (BGIS)