COVID19 Testing

Ministry of Health responds to COVID testing being offered in the private sector.

The Ministry of Health has been made aware of information circulating on social media regarding testing for COVID-19 being offered by the Private Sector. The Ministry of Health has not received a formal application from any private medical facility to carry out testing for COVID-19. The testing currently carried out through the National Public Health Laboratory until local capacity is established, is being performed by the internationally accepted gold standard method (PCR) to identify SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a notifiable disease in accordance with the Turks and Caicos Islands Public And Environmental Health (Infectious And Notifiable Diseases) Notice 2020 (Legal Notice 9 Of 2020). The authority to screen and quarantine persons suspected of having COVID-19 lies with the Ministry of Health

Many quick tests are being marketed for the purpose of COVID-19 testing. These quick tests require a sample of blood and can provide rapid results. These tests look for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 which are produced by the body in response to the infection. These tests are not recommended to diagnose COVID-19 as antibody tests require confirmatory testing by PCR.

Many of these tests are not accurate and can provide false negative results (i.e. results are negative when in fact the individual is positive) or false positive results which would have a hugely negative impact on COVID-19 containment efforts being undertaken in the TCI. The Ministry of Health does not support testing with unapproved methodologies based on recognized international guidance as having value for diagnostic purposes.

The Ministry of Health along with its partners; Public Health England, Pan American Health Organisation and Caribbean Public Health Agency, is constantly reviewing updated information and guidance on new and emerging technologies related to testing for COVID-19. Based on the best available evidence, the Ministry of Health through the National Public Health Laboratory will recommend the appropriate testing modalities to be utilized in the TCI.

The Ministry of Health is responsible for the governance of the health sector and will therefore make the necessary provisions to ensure that all COVID-19 testing carried out for TCI residents is carried out in accordance with international guidelines and quality standards and that the relevant public health protocols are established.

Additional guidance will be forthcoming to the wider health sector as it relates to COVID-19 testing in the TCI. The Ministry of Health will continue to update the general public on further developments in this area.

For additional information, please visit the Ministry of Health’s website on https://www.gov.tc/moh/coronavirus/