Minister for Health, Hon. Nickolas Steele says Grenada has recorded one more laboratory confirmed case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to ten.
Updating the nation on Wednesday, Minister Steele said the individual is a 58 year old male, who arrived in Grenada from New York on March 19th. “He started experiencing symptoms on March 30, and was tested on March 31. His symptoms are currently recorded as fever, cough and general weakness. He is quarantined and being monitored closely.
There are two other family members in the household and they too are under quarantine, but are not exhibiting any symptoms of the virus to date. The individual was found through proactive contact tracing by Health Officials, using the Manifest of the New York Flight, which arrived in Grenada on March 19th.”
Minister Steele reassured that local Health care officials have been aggressively engaged in contact tracing, especially of individuals who arrived in Grenada during the March 16 to 22nd period. “We have found that most of our cases so far, arrived in Grenada, or are linked to someone who arrived in Grenada, during that period. The pattern is similar in several other countries throughout the region. This reinforces to us the necessity to have closed our borders to contain the spread of this virus here on island. All the individuals who have tested positive so far, for COVID-19, are stable and exhibiting mild to moderate symptoms.”
Minister Steele says thirty-seven people have been tested, and of that number, ten tests returned positive, and one is pending.
He assured that the country’s Health Care team is sparing no effort in ascertaining the possibility of community spread in the State of Grenada.
“We continue to rigorously enforce quarantine and isolation measures. Several entire households are presently under quarantine, and we have asked the RGPF to further tighten their surveillance mechanisms to rigidly ensure that people are observing the rules.”
He also used the opportunity to thank Grenada’s frontline workers, including medical professionals and the Royal Grenada Police Force, for their selflessness in helping to protect Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, from this public health threat.
Also commended by the Health Minister were artistes, other public figures, media personnel, private entities and other volunteers, who have lent their voices and their influence to help sensitize the population and help enforce compliance.
