Health officials in St Vincent are actively looking for cases of the Delta variant.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Delta variant is more than 2x as contagious as previous variants.
On Tuesday, 31 August, Dr Roger Duncan said it’s just a matter of time before there is a community spread of the variant.
“We don’t have to look very far; just up north is Jamaica. I am convinced that it is a matter of time before we encounter possible community spread of the Delta variant. It’s much more transmissible, more people are likely to get infected and severely sick, and deaths could go up”.
On Tuesday, St Vincent and the Grenadines Minister of Health St Clair Prince said there are now three Delta Variant cases in SVG.
Prince said six samples had been sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency for testing.
The Health Minister also reported on Tuesday that there are Twelve new reported COVID-19 cases, with Thirty-five active.
Minister Prince said several concerns are worrying to health officials, those include;
Mass gatherings
Low vaccine uptake
Non-compliant with the mask-wearing mandate
misinformation
St Vincent has a positivity rate of below five per cent as mandated by the WHO. That five per cent is necessary for the reopening or relaxing of rules.
However, epidemiologist Tamara Bobb says that the falling number has begun to inch its way back up to five per cent.
Over 30 826 doses of vaccines have been administered in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The ministry is urging caution and for persons to follow the guidelines over the upcoming holiday weekend.
