ICU COVID

Summary

The requester asked if a confirmed COVID-19 case was present on the non-COVID ICU ward on March 11, 2021, and why the ward was on 'Code Red'. The Department of Health and Social Care disclosed that a positive patient was isolated in a negative pressure room and explained that the 'Code Red' status was triggered by an internal contact tracing exercise on March 10.

Key Facts

• A COVID-19 positive patient was present in a negative pressure side room on the ICU ward on March 11, 2021.
• The rest of the ICU ward operated as a COVID-19 free area in line with infection control guidelines.
• An internal contact tracing exercise was triggered on March 10, 2021, leading to the ward being declared a red area.
• All patients on the ward were swabbed during the exercise, but no positive non-symptomatic cases were found.
• The ICU ward was returned to a COVID-19 negative area status on March 12, 2021.

Data Disclosed

• 11th March 2021
• 10th March
• 12th of March
• 9th March
• 16 March 2021
• 9 April 2021
• 1711166

Original Request

Please tell me if a confirmed COVID case was present on the ICU ward (non-COVID ICU) on the day of 11th March 2021. Confirmed case can be either in a member of the medical staff, a patient, an administrative person or any other person, employed by the Hospital or otherwise. If no confirmed case can be confirmed as being present then please detail a full explanation as to why the non-COVID ICU ward was on "Code Red" on this day when the previous day it was business as usual with no extraordinary PPE being utilised on the 9th March but was so on 11th March under this "Code Red".

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Chief Executive: Kathryn Magson Freedom of Information Team Crookall House Demesne Road Douglas Isle of Man IM1 3QA

(01624) 642621 dhsc@foi.gov.im Website: www.gov.im/dhsc

Our ref: 1711166 9 April 2021

Dear ###

We write further to your request which was received on 16 March 2021 and which states:

"Please tell me if a confirmed COVID case was present on the ICU ward (non-COVID ICU) on the day of 11th March 2021. Confirmed case can be either in a member of the medical staff, a patient, an administrative person or any other person, employed by the Hospital or otherwise. If no confirmed case can be confirmed as being present then please detail a full explanation as to why the non-COVID ICU ward was on "Code Red" on this day when the previous day it was business as usual with no extraordinary PPE being utilised on the 9th March but was so on 11th March under this "Code Red"." Our Response On the 11th of March 2021, there was a COVID-19 positive patient in a negative pressure side room on ICU. This allows for the rest of the ward to operate as a COVID- 19 free area and is in line with our infection control guidelines/ COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures. As part of the COVID-19 Critical Care Escalation plan ICU can escalate and deescalate its COVID-19 status to best meet changing demand for normal ICU beds and surges in demand from COVID-19 Positive patients. On the 10th of March an internal contact tracing exercise was triggered by infection control and ICU was declared a red area whilst all patients on the ward were swabbed to identify if there was a COVID-19 positive non symptomatic individual in the area. No positive COVID-19 cases were found during this exercise and the area was returned to a COVID-19 negative area on the 12th of March.

Please quote the reference number 1711166 in any future communications.

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I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Karen Malone Deputy Chief Executive Officer - Governance Department of Health and Social Care