COVID Drive-Thru tested 190 people
190 people were tested for COVID-19 via the COVID Drive-Thru on Bonaire, between April, 14th and April, 21th.
Including the tests done by means of the COVID Drive-Thru, in total 228 people have now been tested on Bonaire until April 24th : 190 via the drive-thru and 38 by the general practitioner. No positive case was found among the 190 people tested via the COVID Drive-Thru. Of the 38 people who were tested by the general practitioner, 2 people tested positive for COVID-19. These 2 persons have now recovered and are doing well.
This was previously communicated. It concerned 1 person who’s first test was “inconclusive” and after a revaluation and on the advice of RIVM it was decided to consider this test positive. The second person was tested positive. In addition, there was a third person who had recently been tested negative but was tested again. The results of this person are still pending.
The Public Health Department, in collaboration with Fundashon Mariadal, launched the COVID Drive-Thru on April, 14th. The purpose of this COVID Drive-Thru was to test a larger number of people. This made it possible to gain more knowledge about the circulation of the corona virus on Bonaire.
In order to advise the right measures for the near future, it was necessary to know for sure whether the corona virus was on Bonaire. Based on the tests carried out in the weeks before setting up the COVID Drive-Thru, it had not yet been proven whether the virus had already reached Bonaire.
Due to the large number of people tested in the COVID Drive-Thru (190 people is almost 1% of the population of Bonaire), we have increased our confidence that the virus does not actively circulate on Bonaire, despite the fact that outside the COVID Drive-Thru the virus has been detected in two cases.
Advantage COVID Drive-Thru
Fundashon Mariadal believes that the advantage the COVID Drive-Thru brought, is that a safe test environment could be offered with privacy, where people could immediately register for the test, even if there were minor health problems.
The COVID Drive-Thru opened on Tuesday April, 14th and would remain open through Friday April 17th, which was later extended until Tuesday April 21nd. Most people were tested on Thursday and Friday afternoon. These tests were performed at the request of the general practitioner, based on the case definition. This case definition was: fever and / or cough and respiratory complaints in combination with a trip to a risk area or contact with a COVID-19 patient.
The Fundashon Mariadal test team and the Public Health department are satisfied with the working method followed and the response from society.