WILLEMSTAD - Curaçao’s leading epidemiologist Dr. Izzy Gerstenbluth announced this afternoon that one more person has been infected with the COVID-19 virus. This makes the total for Curaçao eight corona cases. Dr. Gerstenbluth also said that one is still inconclusive meaning that the test result has not led to a firm conclusion. This person will be tested again.
Dr. Gerstenbluth also spoke about the 7th case that was confirmed yesterday. It’s about an employee at the ADC laboratory center in Otrabanda. There was the question of how that person got infected. The doctor says that they are still investigating this. Initially Dr. Gerstenbluth was criticized for not wanting to divulge where this person works. But the doctor says that he wanted to announce this during the press conference, but everyone needs to also remember that he is bound by the privacy act. He must protect the victim’s identity.
Dr. Gerstenbluth also spoke about another question that was asked yesterday by a Dutch reporter. The reporter asked why the medical professional is not trying to get more data like the World Health Organization (WHO) is requesting. The doctor indicated that indeed the WHO is saying that the countries need to test much more, “but we just don't have enough resources for that. Then we should use all the tests that we have to collect relevant data. When someone approaches us with the corona symptoms, we won’t have the resources to perform the tests.
“The virus behaves the same in Curaçao as elsewhere: most people are not bothered by the viruses, but 5 percent end up in the ICU and that is the problem. We have limited capacity and ventilation,” says the doctor.
This is why he reiterates to comply with the rules of social distancing, stay home as much as possible and cleanliness.
Finally, Dr. Gerstenbluth says that there is a chance that local contamination will occur. “So we are preparing for this, so that even more people have to stay at home. If a local contamination has been confirmed, a rapid increase would be noticeable immediately and we have to scale up. Now there is no indication for that: everything can still be linked abroad.”
