The Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) has called for a minimum 2-week shutdown, the implementation of a 6:00 pm curfew and an immediate ramping up of testing. The organization made the recommendations via the statement below, which was issued following an emergency meeting:
Given the unprecedented surge in cases of COVID-19 on island with over five hundred (500) cases being diagnosed during this month, the general membership of the SLMDA, coming out of an emergency meeting held today January 28, 2021, agreed to the following recommendations in order to mitigate the effect of the disease and avoid further overwhelming of our already fragile healthcare system:
-A judicious shut down of all, but essential services for a period of two weeks in the first instance.
-Implementation of a curfew between the hours of 6:00 pm and 6:00 am
-Immediate ramping up of testing, including the use of rapid testing.
Thirteen Saint Lucian lives have been lost since the start of this pandemic. Any life lost prematurely is one too many. We are cognizant of the need to balance lives and livelihood. Livelihood and the economy can be revived, not so lives lost. We will continue to valiantly battle on the front line ensuring that our fellow citizens receive the absolute best care possible. Our system however, has surpassed its limit.
We need to restrategize, regroup, reset. We cannot afford to wait. The time to act is now! Fellow citizens this is not a call to panic, it is a call to unite for our very survival. Together we can indeed win this war.
