Saint Lucia records 39th COVID-19 case: 38-year-old from Dennery tests positive

Statement by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George:

The Ministry of Health received confirmation today, Wednesday, October 21, 2020, of another case of COVID-19. This is an additional case for the day, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to thirty-nine. The individual is a 38 year old male from the Dennery region. He was tested during a community testing exercise conducted this week. He has no history of travel or known contact with anyone diagnosed with the virus. Upon receiving the diagnosis earlier this afternoon arrangements were made for his transfer to the Respiratory Hospital for care.

To date there is a total of twelve active cases of COVID-19 in isolation at the Respiratory Hospital. This is the largest number of cases in care at once since the start of the national epidemic, but it should be noted that all patients are doing well and are not in need of critical care. There has been a significant increase in the number of cases diagnosed over the past two weeks and the Ministry anticipates additional cases will be identified as the contact tracing process continues.

We appreciate the response of citizens and communities in collaborating with the public health officials in containing the spread of the virus. will strengthen our national response to controlling the epidemic. The Ministry of Health once more reminds every citizen of the importance of consistently practicing infection, prevention and control measures. With the widening of the spread in newly diagnosed cases, continuing this partnership will strengthen our national response to controlling the epidemic.

– Wash and sanitize hands often throughout the day
– Ensure a mask is always used while in public
– Follow the floor markers in public spaces to maintain the recommended physical distance. Where floor markers are not available as a guide, the separation from the next person should be about two arm’s length apart
– If experiencing flu-like symptoms seek medical care immediately at the closest respiratory clinic.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing updates as new information becomes available.For more information please contact the Office of the Chief Medical Officer or the Epidemiology Unit, at 468-5309 / 468-5317 respectively