Outbreak in care home "very serious but under control"

Friday 05 February 2021

For the first time since the second wave of the pandemic hit Guernsey, all of the new positive cases were discovered through contact tracing. However, the island remains in lockdown as the States revealed there had been an outbreak in one of the island's care homes.

The States have today delivered a mixture of good and bad news, with Thursday the first day that there have been no recorded positive cases from unknown community sources.

However, that positive update has been tempered by the emergence of an outbreak in one of Guernsey's care homes, La Grande Lande in St Saviour's.

"We have a very serious situation in the form of a care home outbreak," said Dr Nicola Brink. "We need to focus on that."

Medical Director Dr Peter Rabey said two members of staff and two of the 11 residents had tested positive in the last 24 hours

The entire staff has been put into isolation. Dr Rabey said they were unable to staff that home, so have decided to move those residents into wards at the Princess Elizabeth Hospital, with the two positive cases in a separate ward. 

"That's the best place for us to look after them," he said. "The important thing is that they are being kept safe and looked after during this."

Pictured: A breakdown of Covid case figures in recent days. 

Meanwhile, CCA Chairman Peter Ferbrache said that lockdown will continue beyond the weekend and be reviewed again early next week, with the potential for some changes next Wednesday. 

"As there is still a risk of contagion, we are not making any changes to the rules for the next few days," he said. 

There are currently 361 known active cases, with 17 new cases and two recoveries yesterday. 

Dr Brink said there were promising trends, but also points of concern.

"What we can see is a gradual flattening of that curve but we have to stay vigilant."

It was confirmed this morning that Alderney has recorded its first positive case, who was discovered through contact tracing and was already in self-isolation.

Pictured top: Medical Director Dr Peter Rabey.