The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs continues to manage the fourth wave of COVID-19 in country. From July 25, 2021 to present, we note 7,208 cases at an average of 69 cases per day. In the management of the fourth wave, we have also carried out over 31,600 tests.
50% of the diagnosed cases are in the age group 25-49 years and 56% of the cases are female.
At present we have 309 active cases in country. The majority of the cases are from the Castries, Gros- Islet, Vieux-Fort and Babonneau districts. The daily infection rate for the past week was 11.5 per 100,000 per day which is a 4% decrease from the previous week. We note that we have reached a slow rate of decline at this point, with a present rate of transmission of 1.0. We also continue to manage a COVID-19 outbreak at the Bordelais Correctional Facility. There are presently 27 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Respiratory Hospital, 1 in critical condition and 7 are severely ill. During the fourth wave, Saint Lucia recorded 170 COVID-19 deaths out of a total of 260 Covid-19 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 2.4%. Males account for 56% of the deaths.
As indicated earlier, we have at present 309 active cases in country, this is above the required threshold indicator of 100 or less cases targeted. Based on the forecast and anticipated trends, this should have been reached a week ago. Over the last 3 weeks we note the increase in social activities and large crowd activities contributing to increased cases. We need to sustain the gains achieved in the management of the fourth wave in light of the increased transmissibility of the Delta Variant circulating.
We recommend a gradual transition into the high risk services to ensure they are implemented in a sustainable way. We are working to prevent further spikes during the festive season. Therefore, we ask the public to work with us and exhibit responsible behavior to ensure our recorded COVID-19 numbers remain low. We are also working to ensure the sustainable re-opening of school for students.
At present we have available both the Pfizer and Astra Zeneca vaccine free of charge in country at the various wellness centers. These vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective in protecting persons from developing COVID-19, its severe forms, complications, hospitalizations and death.
The booster Pfizer vaccine is also available for persons who have had both doses of the Astra Zeneca for over 3-6 months. Parents are encouraged to vaccinate their children from 12 years and older, let us make the educational environment safer.
We continue to advise the public to remain vigilant and adhere to the protocols that are put in place to keep us safe. These include regular hand washing, use of face mask in public places, avoiding crowds and persons with respiratory symptoms and keeping frequently touched surfaces clean.
The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing updates to the public as new information becomes available.
