Bahamas quarantines two residents who recently returned from China
The
Bahamas government says anyone who has travelled to China in the last 20 days
will be quarantined as authorities respond to the outbreak of the novel
coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that has killed more than 200 people in China
Health
Minister Dr Duane Sands confirmed that so far two Bahamians, who recently
returned from the Asian country, have been quarantined at an undisclosed
location.
“Effective
immediately, any non-resident, regardless of nationality, who has visited China
in the last 20 days will be denied entry into the country. All residents
returning to The Bahamas will be strictly quarantined and monitored for
development of symptoms for the duration of the incubation period for a maximum
of 14 days,” added Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan.
She
said that so far “there have been no suspected, reported or confirmed cases” of
the virus even as Dr Esther de Gourville, a representative of World Health
Organization and the Pan American Health Organization (WHO/PAHO), sought to
give the assurance that the quarantine of two individuals was done as a
precaution.
“Evidence
suggests that the incubation period, the period between exposure to the virus
and coming down with symptoms, could be as long as 10 to 14 days; and evidence
also suggests that persons may be asymptomatic and still able to transmit the
virus to others,” de Gourville said.
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“So
the idea of quarantine is to minimise the risk of transmission from persons who
may have been exposed to the virus and as yet [are] not manifesting symptoms,
to their close family members or to the medical services if they develop
symptoms.
“So
the quarantine is a period of observation and, should symptoms develop, medical
care will be offered to persons of concern.”
The
Health Minister said that there’s an estimated 160 nationals in China, but that
there were no plans for them to be evacuated.
But
he said that those who wish to return have been in communication with the
government, and the Ministry of Health along with the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs have been working together on a “schedule” for the arrival of those
individuals.
