Novel Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan- fbg-2

Recommended safety precautions for contact tracing teams
Since COVID-19 cases are more likely to be discovered during contact follow-up, contact tracing
teams should take precautionary measures to protect themselves during home visits.
The following precautions will be taken during contact tracing visits by all members of the team:
• Avoid direct physical contact like shaking hands or hugging.
• Maintain a comfortable distance (more than 1metre) from the person.
• Avoid entering the residence.
• Avoid sitting on chairs offered to you.
• Avoid touching or leaning against potentially contaminated objects.
• Always have a good breakfast before home visits to resist the temptation of eating
or drinking while visiting contacts.
• Do not conduct home visits wearing personal protective equipment like masks,
gloves, or gowns.
• If you must take the contact’s temperature, put on disposable gloves.
• Have the contact turn around and take their temperature in the armpit.
• Avoid touching the patient and step back to wait for the thermometer.
• If the contact is visibly ill, do not attempt to take their temperature but notify your
supervisor immediately.
• As part of the overall safety of the Rapid Response Team, all members of the contact
tracing team should monitor their own temperature every morning.
Asymptomatic individuals identified as contacts must remain available to health authorities,
notifying health personnel of any change of location that may affect the health personnel’s ability to
carry out daily monitoring. For operational reasons, non-essential travel of contacts during the
monitoring period is discouraged.
Contacts that developed symptoms compatible with COVID-19 must be referred to Infectious Disease
Unit, PMH for medical assessment and further investigation. This should trigger further active search
for cases in both the community and at health facilities.
Contact tracing – non health sector partners
If the patient with illness compatible to COVID-19 develops symptoms while on an aircraft, contact
tracing must be made according to the Risk Assessment Guidelines for Infectious Diseases
transmitted on Aircraft (RAGIDA) protocol, which indicates the contact tracing should only include
passengers who were seated in direct proximity to the index case, i.e. only passengers who were one
seat away from the index case (+/- 1 seat in all directions). Additionally, all persons who reported
direct contact with the index case should be traced back. Crew members who provided in-flight
service in the section of the aircraft where the index case was seated should be included in the traceback,
as well as cleaning staff that cleaned the section and seat where the index case was seated. The
Surveillance Unit, through the Port Medical Officer, will liaise with airline crew and Agents for the
conveyance operator who will be responsible for obtaining the contact information from the airlines
arriving in The Bahamas.
Should the passenger become ill during the flight, contacts should be assessed in the designated areas
within the airport according to the airport contingency plan (domestic and international terminals).
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