First corona virus death

Tuesday 31 March 2020

The death of the first patient in Guernsey linked with corona virus has been confirmed.

The elderly patient passed away yesterday at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital.

The Director of Public Health Dr Nicola Brink made the sad announcement, and offered her condolences to the patients family and friends.  She also asked for their privacy to be respected.

"I am very sorry to report that a patient who tested positive for covid-19 sadly passed away at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital yesterday afternoon. The patient was in their 80s," said Dr Brink.

"I offer my sincere condolences to their family and friends and ask that their privacy is respected at this extremely sad time."

The death came hours after Dr Brink appeared at a press conference where she confirmed a small cluster of corona virus patients had been confirmed within a nursing home in Guernsey. She also confirmed another cluster within a family group, and said that a teenager was the youngest person in the island to test positive for covid-19 so far.

She had said that now tests were being assessed on island the results would come back much quicker than they had been from the UK, which would help the Bailiwick in its continued efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus. 

Pictured: Dr Nicola Brink and Deputy Gavin St Pier. 

The Bailiwick had been warned that deaths related to the global covid-19 pandemic were inevitable, but the news of an elderly patient passing away after contracting the virus is not easy to accept, said Deputy Gavin St Pier.

The Chair of the Civil Contingencies Authority said this news will confirm the "stark reality" that for some people this virus is "extremely dangerous".

"It is with great sadness that I learned of the first COVID-19 related death yesterday," he said. "This is something we knew would come but that does not make it any easier to accept.

"I know that Islanders will join me in offering condolences to the family.

"This announcement will inevitably shock and concern the community. It confirms the stark reality that, for some this virus is extremely dangerous, even if for the majority it causes relatively mild symptoms.

"I would like to reassure you that the States of Guernsey will continue to work tirelessly to respond to the challenges that this pandemic presents us with and we will continue to be open and transparent with the community as each day passes."

Pictured top: The Princess Elizabeth Hospital.