BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE Federation has recorded five more confirmed cases of COVID-19 bringing the total to seven overall.
Confirmation on the latest numbers came late this evening from the Ministry of Health. where it was revealed that three females and two males tested positive.
The ministry in a statement said that on Saturday, March 28,, the female patients are aged 10 months, 24 years and 36 years, while the two male patients are 29 and 39 years, respectively.
“All five of these cases are travel related, meaning that the cases were imported into the Federation. This determination has been made based on the patients’ travel histories to St. Maarten and Antigua during the period March 6-13, 2020.”
Against that back, the ministry indicated that all patients are being subjected to compulsory isolation in order to limit the likelihood of transmission to others.
“The Ministry further advises that the contacts of all five patients will be subject to strict quarantine and testing as well, given that they would have been exposed to the novel coronavirus and can infect others during the incubation period,” the ministry noted.
In uging, the Ministry of Health reminded citizens and residents of their individual and collective responsibility to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Among the measures recommended are:
1) Strict observance of quarantine regulations by remaining at home if you are placed on home self-quarantine by the public health authorities. Reason: you can infect others during the quarantine period, even if you have none of the symptoms of COVID-19. Failure to comply with these regulations can attract a fine up to EC$8,000 and other penalties.
2) Persons who have been placed in mandatory isolation after being diagnosed with COVID-19 must remain in the place of isolation at all times for the duration of the period. A person in isolation is considered highly contagious and, as such, is not permitted to leave the place of isolation for any reason whatsoever. Failure to comply with isolation requirements can attract fines of up to $8,000 and other penalties.
3) Strict adherence to the State of Emergency provisions and regulations outlined in Statutory Rules and Orders (SR&O), Number 7 of 2020: Emergency Powers (COVID-19) Regulations, which took effect from 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, 2020. Fines of up to $5,000 and other penalties – including imprisonment - are applicable to persons who break the law with regards to (a) the mandatory curfew that has been put in place; and (b) restriction of movement insofar as the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. are concerned. The Ministry appeals to all to avoid unnecessary travel outside of one’s domestic premises, particularly if one has no good reason to be away from home and one’s movements are not covered by any of the special allowances outlined in the SR&O Number 7 of 2020.
The Federation confirmed its first two cases of the Coronvavirus on Wednesday, 18 March 2020.
