On March 11th, 2020, Saint 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 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines from the United Kingdom on March 7th, 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.
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.
To date, all contacts of the index case have shown no evidence of COVID-19.
SOURCE: Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment
Ministry of Health