The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment has commenced what it calls contact tracing for passengers, who were onboard LI771 on Saturday March 14, to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, enroute to Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
In a release, the Ministry said the contact tracing was implemented, after it received information from the Argyle Airport Authority Administration, that a passenger, who had a recent history of contact with a COVID-19 positive case, had arrived in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Ministry said as per International Health Regulations requirements, that passenger has been quarantined and will remain in quarantine for the next seven (7) days.
The Ministry said while the passenger has not shown any signs or symptoms of COVID-19, a clinical sample has been taken for analysis.
It further stated that Contact tracing for all contacts of this passenger has commenced and is therefore asking persons who arrived in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on LI771 on March 14th, 2020, who have not yet been contacted by the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, to call the COVID-19 Hotline at telephone number 534-4325.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment urges the cooperation of the public in this matter.
On March 11th , 2020, St. Vincent and the Grenadines confirmed its first imported case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
The patient was a Vincentian female who had travelled to St. Vincent and the Grenadines from the United Kingdom on March 7 th , 2020. The United Kingdom is currently reporting community transmission of COVID-19. The patient contacted the relevant healthcare services on March 10th , 2020, and has been in isolation since then. A clinical sample was collected and sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency
Laboratory for analysis. Laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis at approximately 5:28 pm on March 10th, 2020. The patient family members and other primary contacts have been informed of the diagnosis and possible exposure.
It says Steps are taken to prevent the risk of local transmission. These measures include the identification and contact tracing for all possible exposed persons. Relevant passengers arriving on LI771 from Barbados were traced and followed up according to World Health Organization guidelines.
The Ministry assures the public that to date, all contacts of the Vincentian who tested positive for Coronavirus, have shown no evidence of COVID-19.
