Exposure data only available for 31 percent of cases
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Minister of Health Renward Wells said yesterday there has been a consistent trend of workplace exposures in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in The Bahamas.
At a press conference yesterday, Wells said data has led officials to determine the workplace as a “hot spot” for the virus.
“With the relaxation of restrictions, some have decided to go back to business as usual, including their social lives,” he said.
“Some have decided to attend planned social events like showers, dinners, and birthday parties where they may contract or spread COVID-19.
“These same persons go home to their families where the virus is spread.
“These individuals also spread COVID-19 to their co-workers.
“Now we have a consistent trend of workplace exposures, requiring a constant cycle of quarantining, deep cleaning, and sanitization. The workplace is now a hotspot.”
Wells encouraged residents to not let their guard down, adding “we cannot continue business as usual”.
He discouraged social events and gathering and advised against residents leaving their homes except for essential purposes.
Health officials have only been able to collect exposure data for 31 percent of COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas.
Of those 1,098 cases, 447 cases or 41 percent reported being exposed at work or a mass gathering setting.
Another 387 cases or 35 percent reported exposures in the household or from a friend, while 264 cases or 24 percent reported their exposures as “other”.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan presented data that indicated younger people were being infected at a larger rate amid the second wave, but cases among older people had not increased similarly.
“This observation also suggests that household spread is not occurring,” McMillan said.
“Instead it suggests that workplace spread may be the prominent factor for the spread of this disease during this second wave.
“An alternate interpretation, however, of this data is that persons who have contracted this disease do not reside in households with older persons.
“Additional analysis is required to determine if a correlation exists between the number of persons in a household and the observed transmission behavior.
“Regardless of which of these interpretations we apply to the data, it is clear that our collectiveness efforts to reduce the spread of this virus to older members of the population appear to be successful and we should all be commended for a job that has been well done.”
A look at confirmed infections and exposures in workplace environments showed several businesses such as banks, insurance agencies, hardware stores, construction companies, and fabric stores, among others, that had two-people and three-people clusters.
An example of two large business chains showed a six-person cluster in one company and nine cases in the other. These were considered medium-sized clusters.
However, one company in New Providence had as many as 12 workplace-derived cases.
McMillan confirmed those cases were all employees.
She said each of those 12 people likely moved into other settings such as restaurants, bookstores, clothing stores, and grocery stores, and may have also socialized with friends and family.
“In doing so, there is the ongoing risk of infecting others, and we must get into the habit of assessing risk as we consider activities and moving forward,” she said.
