Last Updated on April 2, 2020, 9:40 AM AST by Anthony Morris
On Wednesday, Saint Vincent and Grenadines recorded its second confirmed case of COVID-19 coronavirus.
This case, like the first case of the country, is also an imported case.
This new positive result had come from the most recent batch of samples that were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) lab to be tested for COVID-19 coronavirus.
The sample that tested positive for the coronavirus had been taken from a female patient who had travelled to Saint Vincent and Grenadines from the United States of America on March 25, 2020.
The patient, along with all the other passengers on her flight, had been kept in mandatory quarantine from the time of her arrival in Saint Vincent and Grenadines.
The patient had reported symptoms on March 28, and a sample was taken from her to test for COVID-19.
The female, who is a Vincentian national, was kept in isolation since that time.
CARPHA reported that the laboratory tests had confirmed a positive result for COVID-19 coronavirus today at around 12:34 pm.
The patient has been informed regarding her test result, and the process of informing other contacts and contact tracing has been initiated.
Public health measures would continue with the identification of additional contacts and the implementation of additional quarantine measures as necessary.
A total of 44 samples had been sent for testing. Out of 44, 2 cases have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
CARPHA rejected samples for four persons because they did not satisfy the testing criteria for COVID-19.
All the other results have been reported negative for the coronavirus.
The public has been reminded to continue to practice the basic and simple, yet highly effective public health measures including hand hygiene, cough etiquettes, strict adherence to quarantine and social distancing to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.
The Government of SVG would continue to keep the public informed as it tries to manage the pandemic.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
