Saint Lucia records case #142 of COVID-19

Today, Tuesday November 10, 2020 the Ministry of Health received confirmation of one new case of COVID-19 which brings the total number of cases diagnosed to date in country to 142.

• Case #142 is a 27 year old male from the Castries district.

Following this individual presenting to a health facility and assessed and tested for COVID-19, he was placed in quarantine while awaiting the receipt of his test results. This case has no known epidemiological link to any of our prior cases. As per protocol, this individual has been placed in isolation.

Today’s case brings the number of active cases currently in country to 100. At present, one of the active cases is in critical care and all other active cases remain stable. The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce the recovery of a total of fifteen cases of COVID-19 from October 13, 2020, when our current increase commenced, to today November 10, 2020. These fifteen individuals have been released from care and reintegrated into their communities.

The number of individuals being tested for COVID-19 continues to be at record levels. While awaiting their results, everyone who has been tested for COVID-19 is placed in quarantine by health care providers. This requires that these individuals refrain from social interaction and being in public places until results are received. The Ministry of Health makes a special appeal to anyone placed in quarantine to adhere to these guidelines as it is part of the public health effort to reduce the possibility of spread of the virus. The current guidelines and protocols are in place in the interest of protecting the health of each individual and should not be seen as trying to control or to take away people’s freedom of movement. We again appeal for the support of all in national effort to keep our population safe and minimize the impact of COVID-19 on us all.

Daily committing the practice of the following infection prevention and control guidelines may appear to be simple but they are truly effective in minimizing the risk of spreading the virus:

• Frequent hand washing with soap and flowing water or the use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when handwashing is not possible
• Wear a face mask when in public and ensuring it covers both the mouth and nose
• Maintain a six foot physical separation from others, which is about two arm’s length apart
• Seek medical care if experiencing respiratory symptoms which include fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat
• Avoid contact with people who are experiencing respiratory symptoms

Making these guidelines a habit will reduce the spread of the virus.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing 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