Saint Lucia records cases #174 to #178 of COVID-19

Today, Tuesday November 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health received confirmation of five new cases of COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases diagnosed in country to date to 178.

1. Case #174 is a 1 year old male from the Vieux-Fort district
2. Case #175 is a 13 year old male from the Choiseul district
3. Case #176 is a 31 year old female from the Gros-Islet district
4. Case #177 is a 54 year old male from the Castries district
5. Case #178 is a 44 year old male from the Gros-Islet district

All of these individuals, after being assessed and tested for COVID-19, were placed in quarantine by health practitioners while awaiting receipt of their test results. Three of these cases were identified through the contact tracing process and an epidemiological link has been established for these three cases. Case #174 is linked to cases #109 and #165. Case #175 is linked to cases #109 and #163. Case #176 is linked to case #169. As per protocol, arrangements have been made to place these individuals into care.

The Ministry of Health is pleased to announce that the reported critical case has recovered from COVID-19 and has been transferred as of yesterday to the Owen King EU hospital for continued care. This now brings the total number of active cases currently in country to 116. At present, all of the remaining active cases are stable.

The Ministry of Health reminds everyone that we are all susceptible to the virus. However, there are people at greater risk such as the elderly and those living with chronic and underlying medical conditions. Therefore, we all have to play our part to protect the health and safety of our families, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Let us all continue to take personal responsibility and adhere to the protocols and guidelines for the prevention of the virus.

Continue daily practicing the infection prevention and control guidelines which include:

• Wash and sanitize hands often during the day
• Ensure a mask is always used while in public and ensure it covers both the mouth and nose
• Sanitize frequently touched surfaces often using a bleach solution
• Maintain a separation of six feet from others which is about two arm’s length apart
• If experiencing flu-like symptoms, keep away from others and seek medical care immediately at the closest respiratory clinic
• Avoid contact with other people who have flu-like symptoms

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