Last Updated on March 22, 2020, 1:39 PM AST by Anthony Morris
After St. Vincent and the Grenadines, received the news of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country to date, the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has announced some measures to be followed, with a view of limiting the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The first imported case of the virus was confirmed on March 11.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, has said that several meetings of officials had been held then to address the issue of coronavirus.
The patient had returned from the United Kindom and is presently in self-isolation.
Measures to limit the spread of the virus, which have been issued by the Government, include the suspension for certain ports of entry while the hours of operation at other ports would be increased in some cases.
The people entering St. Vincent and the Grenadines with a travel history from Iran, China, South Korea and Italy would now be subjected to quarantine for a period of 14 days after entry.
The people with a travel history from the countries with community transmission of the virus would be under active surveillance of the nurses assigned to the hotels.
The Prime Minister added that the measures set up for Vincentians to stay safe also include the approval that he had given for hiring between 20 to 25 additional Vincentian nurses to strengthen monitoring, maintenance and control of coronavirus primarily at airports and other ports of entry.
The Prime Minister also requested the Vincentians to take proper precautions to keep themselves and others around them safe from the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
He has also formally urged the Cuban Government for sending three doctors and 12 nurses who specialize in handling infectious diseases including COVID-19, for aiding in further training of local medical personnel and nurses.
Health minister, Luke Browne also made an order for equipment and supplies for the testing of COVID-19.
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.
