The Government is “launching a new automated process for notifying Covid positive patients and named close contacts of their status and their need to isolate or quarantine,” the Minister said, adding that “when a test result comes back positive, persons will be notified via the email address provided on their test booking.”
This new automated notification system is set to be launched this weekend and comes as the island is experiencing an unprecedented surge in Covid cases, with the most recent results marking the highest ever active cases, the most cases in one day, the most people in hospital and the most people in ICU.
The hospital has advised they have moved to “Disaster Alert Level 4″, marking the first time during the pandemic that BHB has ever moved to the highest alert level.
In releasing the test results on Friday evening Health Minister Kim Wilson said, “I am also pleased to announce that over the weekend we are launching a new automated process for notifying Covid positive patients and named close contacts of their status and their need to isolate or quarantine”.
“When a test result comes back positive, persons will be notified via the email address provided on their test booking. The notification email will include necessary information on the steps the person who tested must take with respect to isolation and other matters.
“It will also include a link to an online form that allows the positive person to list off their close contacts, so they can be notified as well about their exposure, without disclosing who the positive person is.
“This new automated process replaces a manual process of phone calls and emails that the contact tracing team was using to notify positives and close contacts. The automatic email notification will replace the many calls contact tracers must make to ensure residents know they are positive and their close contacts know they have been exposed.”
“This is a great tool to assist our contact tracers who are overwhelmed due to the sheer number of cases. Please provide an email address on your test booking if you want to benefit from this speedier notification process. If you test positive, please read the entire letter carefully and provide the contact details that are requested. We all must work together to help stop the spread of the virus in our community.”
