86-year-old COVID-19 patient released from Intensive Care Unit; MOH stresses on continued vigilance

Saint Lucia has a total of 25 confirmed cases of COVID-19 to date. 22 of these cases have fully recovered and three are stable and remain in care. The condition of the last case of the 86 year old gentleman who was diagnosed on Thursday, July 30, 2020 has improved and has been released from the Intensive Care Unit at the Respiratory Hospital and is being managed on the ward of the Respiratory Hospital.

A total of 3,973 tests have been conducted to date. The Ministry of Health and Wellness was again alerted this week by the Police Commissioner
of persons entering the borders illegally from high risk areas. They are placed in institutional quarantine when found but many remain in the communities. We continue to advise the public against harboring persons coming through the borders illegally. This poses a serious threat of COVID-19 transmission at the level of our communities.

As we manage new cases and investigate possible contacts, the public is advised to take personal responsibilities to protect themselves and family. We advise on responsible behavior without unnecessary panic. The public is advised that all protocols are still in place. These also include the use of face masks in public and maintaining safe physical distance from others.
We appeal to everyone to continue supporting our national effort to minimize the threat of COVID-19 on our island.

The five Respiratory Clinics remain open to facilitate anyone with respiratory signs and symptoms or concerns. The 311 Hotline is also available where concerns and questions can be addressed.

We continue to advise on the importance of maintaining the standard recommendations for infection prevention and control which include:

– regular hand washing with soap and water or alcohol based hand sanitizer where soap and water is not available.

– cover mouth and nose with disposable tissues or clothing when coughing and sneezing.

The Ministry of Health will continue providing further updates on COVID-19. For more information please contact the Office of the Chief Medical Officer or the Epidemiology Unit, at 468-5309/468-5317 respectively.