‘None of this is my fault’ - nurse forced to isolate
A CARE home nurse, who received her Covid vaccination months ago, found herself forced to isolate after a trip to the UK because she had still not received her vaccination certificate.
Alana Pugh worked at a local care home from 2019 and, like other staff and residents, received her jabs ahead of the general population.
As soon as she had the opportunity, she went back home to visit her family having made all the arrangements she felt were necessary to ensure that she would not have to isolate on her return.
Before leaving, she created a Travel Tracker account on the States’ website and said she was told that all she needed to do was provide a photo of her blue vaccination card in order to get the number that would be on her certificate.
Miss Pugh arrived back in the island with some of her family on Sunday, including her nan, joining her for a short break to celebrate her 94th birthday yesterday.
Among the party was her 18-year-old niece who went into isolation prior to getting a negative test and was then able to leave.
That left just Miss Pugh in isolation, because she still had not received her certificate or its number. If the issue is not resolved, she faces two weeks’ quarantine.
‘I thought it would be just a few hours and I’d be out,’ she said yesterday morning.
Her boss at the care home where she now works has also contacted Public Health in an effort to get the matter sorted.
On contacting the Health department herself, she was told that it was nothing to do with them and was down to the vaccination centre to sort out. She said she was frustrated at the lack of communication between different departments and also with the rudeness of one woman she spoke to on the Travel Tracker number.
‘The frustrating part is that none of this is my fault,’ she said. ‘I did everything I was asked to do.
‘I think this is shocking.’
Miss Pugh said she was aware of other staff members and residents at the care home where she used to work not receiving their certificates and the Guernsey Press understands that other islanders are still to receive theirs.
The issue follows problems with Alderney residents not getting their certificates. That issue was blamed on the vaccination information not being correctly uploaded to the system.
Health & Social Care did not respond to a request to comment yesterday.
