Church, businesses close amid COVID scare in Hanover

WESTERN BUREAU:

A church and two businesses in Hanover that are in the cross hairs of a contact-tracing exercise have heeded the advice of health officials to cease operations temporarily amid a national spike in coronavirus cases.

The church in question has been identified as the Hopewell Door of Faith Church of God Worship Centre, which is located in the Hopewell Mall on Main Street. The two business places were not identified.

According to health officials, several members of the church have either been infected with the virus or had crossed path with affected persons.

Dr Kaushal Singh, medical officer of health for Hanover, said that the health department did not order the church closed but had advised of the prudence of a shutdown.

“The church is closed, yes, but it is not related to the amount (of COVID-19 cases) ... .

“Whenever we have suspicions of a spread, we usually close them (any entity) for at least the incubation period of two weeks,” said Singh, in explaining the rationale for the decision.

Some of the persons who were contact-traced to the church were employees of the two business places in question, The Gleaner understands.

The health department chief said that steps were being taken to curb the viral outbreak in the parish.

Hanover has recorded 442 of the overall national infections of 17,701. That represents 2.5 per cent of total cases.

As at Monday, Hanover had the second lowest number of COVID-19 cases, ahead of only Portland, with its 404 infections.