Saint Lucia records 35 new cases of COVID-19

SAINT LUCIA RECORDS CASES #622 TO #656 OF COVID-19

Today Monday January 18, 2021 the Ministry of Health and Wellness received confirmation of thirty five new cases of COVID-19. This is from a batch of 126 COVID-19 tests conducted at the Ezra Long Laboratory, from which 35 positive and 91 negative tests were recorded. This brings the total number of cases diagnosed in country to date to 656.

All of these cases are Saint Lucian nationals ranging in age from 14 years to 66 years. They are from the Castries, Vieux-Fort, Anse La Raye, Dennery, Babonneau, Micoud and Gros-Islet districts.

These individuals were all seen at a community respiratory clinic, where they were assessed and tested for COVID-19. They were placed in quarantine by health practitioners pending their COVID-19 results. Upon receiving their test results arrangements have been made to place all these individuals into care. The Ministry’s contact tracing team is undertaking necessary follow-up on the contacts of these cases.

The Ministry of Health also reports seven recoveries for today Monday January 18, 2021. Currently, there are 310 active cases in care, with one of them requiring critical care and the others are all stable.

The Ministry of Health once again encourages everyone to practice daily the recommended infection prevention and control measures to reduce the spread of the virus:

• 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