Saint Lucia records two new cases of COVID-19; total number of active cases now at 27

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

Today, Sunday October 25, 2020, the Ministry of Health and Wellness received confirmation of two new cases of COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases diagnosed to date in country to 54. Both of these cases were identified through the contact tracing process and were already in quarantine. Case number 53 is linked to case number 43. Case number 54 is a close contact of case number 50 who is linked to case number 39.

This brings the total number of active confirmed cases currently isolated in care to 27. Case number 53 is a 34 year old female from the Castries district. Case number 54 is a 25 year old male from the Gros-Islet district. During this past week, Sunday October 18 to Saturday, October 24, 2020, a total of eighteen new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in country.

This is a significant number in a short period especially when we consider the requirements to respond to these cases to ensure we contain further spread. This includes human resources for contacting tracing, testing, care of patients. There is also increasing demand on supplies for testing, PPEs and other related supplies. Though we continue to respond promptly and effectively; if we all do not make a continuous effort to follow the recommended infection prevention and control guidelines, these pressures on health care resources shall only continue and will even increase with time.

As such, the Ministry of Health reiterates the importance of sticking to behaviours which reduce the spread of the virus from one person to another. The Ministry makes a strong appeal to everyone that if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms, which include fever, cough, and sore throat, promptly go to your closest Community Respiratory Clinic for care.

Ensure when in public that you:

– always wear a mask
– maintain the six foot physical distance from the next person which is about a distance of two arm’s length
– follow the floor markers in public spaces where they are available.
– wash and sanitize your hands often throughout the day
– cover your sneeze and cough with a tissue or your inner elbow when tissue is not available

With the increasing confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the past weeks, we urge everyone to limit social movements by remaining home today, as we observe Jounen Kweyol. Moving into the new work week let’s make every effort to keep ourselves and others at low risk for becoming infected with the virus.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing regular 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.