MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands' exercise to test a quick and effective response to a Covid-19 outbreak

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rebecca Edwards said ”we need to practice how and where we would manage caring for a larger number of (Covid-19) patients.

Falkland Islands Chief Medical Officer, Rebecca Edwards has said that with testing able to the done in the Islands, it is likely cases will be detected earlier and responded to faster. The KEMH in Stanley can already handle up to seven critically ill patients .

“Although Covid-19 is seemingly controlled in the Islands at the moment, if we did see a big outbreak at some point in the future we could find ourselves needing more beds for patients. With this in mind, we need to practice how and where we would manage caring for a larger number of patients.

Dr. Edwards said that's why an exercise is planned for the third week of June, where the main gymnasium at the Leisure Center will be turned into a hospital ward. She added that KEMH will be working very closely with the British Forces South Atlantic Islands, BFSAI.

”We've all seen the temporary Nightingale temporary hospitals in UK, but ours will be of course a lot smaller. We are going to call ours Nightingale Stanley and over three days we will built it, test it, dismantle it. This is about reassuring the community that we are ready of course, the very best outcome is that we have never have to set up this facility, and so keep following the public health advice. Keep your bubbles small and stay socially distanced where possible“

The exercise is set for Junes, 17, 18, 19 and the Leisure Center will be closed completely from 09 PM Tuesday 16 Junes to 5 PM Friday June 19.

Dr. Edwards said the date was chosen as it's the half term break for neighbors, FI Community School, FICS. ”We also want to hold this exercise before the possible giving of the green light to some sports clubs to resume if we keep getting negative tests results in our population”.

Falklands has tested no positive Covid-19 cases among its civilian population. PCR swab testing has been done to over 500 residents, 109 in the Islands KEMH hospital, and 426 were sent previously to the UK.