34 new cases of COVID-19 and 2 related deaths

Today Saturday January 16, 2021 the Ministry of Health received confirmation of thirty four new cases of COVID-19. This is a batch of 253 COVID-19 tests with 34 positives and 219 negatives. This brings the total number of cases diagnosed in country to date to 611.

All of the cases are Saint Lucian nationals ranging in age from 1 year to 64 years. They are from the Castries, Soufriere, Babonneau, Gros-Islet, Dennery, Anse La Raye and Vieux-Fort districts.

Amongst these cases, Saint Lucia also recorded two new COVID-19 related deaths. The seventh COVID-19 related death is a 69 year old male from the Gros-Islet district. At the time of his passing, the individual was not in care at the hospital. He has no known past medical history.

The eighth COVID-19 related death is a 49 year old male from the Soufriere district. He was in care at the time of his passing. The individual has a history of underlying medical conditions.

The Ministry of Health expresses heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of these two individuals.

The remaining individuals were seen at a community respiratory clinic, where they were assessed and tested for COVID-19. They were placed in quarantine by health practitioners pending the receipt of their test results. Arrangements have been made to place the remaining cases in isolation. At present, the contact tracing team is in the process of undertaking investigations as it relates to those cases.

Currently, there are 272 active cases, with one of them requiring critical care and the others being stable.

Over the past week, we have notice a widening of the age range of individuals being diagnosed with COVID-19. This indicates that everyone irrespective of age is at risk for contracting the various. As such everyone needs to be protected and the necessary measures to be taken to prevent transmission.
These include:

• Frequently wash hands your with flowing water and soap
• Wear a mask when in public places and ensure it covers the mouth, nose and chin
• Maintain a six foot distance from others wherever possible
• Use a bleach solution to sanitize frequently touched surfaces and frequently handled objects
• Avoid contact with other people who have flu-like symptoms

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, it is important keep away from others and to urgently seek medical care at your closest community respiratory clinic for assessment.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing updates to the public 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