St. Vincent and the Grenadines yesterday confirmed fifty-five (55) new COVID-19 cases.
The Health Services Sub-Committee says three (3) cases are non-nationals who arrived on island between December 31, 2020 and January 4, 2021 with negative PCR test results, and subsequently tested positive during quarantine.
Fifty-two (52) of these new cases are nationals without a recent travel history, bringing the total number of local cases under investigation to eighty (80). There are currently five (5) distinct clusters to which most cases can be linked. Contact tracing, further linking and testing related to all of these local cases are ongoing.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has now recorded two hundred and four (204) cases of COVID-19. One hundred and two (102) persons have recovered and one hundred and two (102) remain active. All positive cases will continue to be isolated until cleared by two negative tests.
Persons with flu-like symptoms such as sore throat, fever and cough are advised to go to the nearest district Flu Clinic ensuring that they wear appropriate facial coverings. Persons with flu like symptoms should not use public transportation where possible.
The Flu Clinics in the nine health districts are:
- Kingstown Health District – Kingstown Health Centre
- Pembroke Health District – Buccament Polyclinic, Layou Health Centre,
- Chateaubelair (North Leeward) Health District – Coull’s Hill Health Centre, Chateaubelair SMART Hospital
- Marriaqua Health District – Levi Latham Health Complex, Evesham Health Centre, Lowmans Windward Health Centre
- Calliaqua Health District – Stubbs Polyclinic, Belair Health Centr
- Cedars Health District – Biabou Health Centre, South Rivers Health Centre
- Georgetown (North Windward) Health District – Georgetown Health Centrel, Sandy Bay Health Centre, Owia Health Center, Fancy Health Centre
- Northern Grenadines Health District – Port Elizabeth Hospital
- Southern Grenadines Health District – Celena Clouden Hospital, Mayreau Health Centre, Canouan Health Centre.
The protocol for mass gatherings has been revised and effective today January 8, 2021, indoor gatherings must be limited to ten (10) persons and outdoor gatherings to twenty (20). Additionally, public transportation vehicles will be required to limit the number of passengers to six (6) less than the number of passengers they are licensed to carry. As a result, an eighteen (18) seater van should only carry 12 passengers, a twenty-two (22) seater, sixteen (16) and a twenty-eight (28) seater, twenty-two (22) passengers.
The protocol for the entry of travelers to St. Vincent and the Grenadines has also been revised and effective Monday 11, January 2021, all travellers from high-risk countries must stay fourteen (14) days in a quarantine facility. Travellers from a medium risk country must stay seven (7) days in a similar facility.
The public is strongly urged to continue to wear facial coverings, sanitize hands regularly and maintain physical distancing as far as possible.
