The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment was informed this morning August 27,
2021 by CARPHA of the COVID-19 sequencing results of positive samples collected from
patients in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on August 12, 2021, received at the CARPHA lab on
August 17, 2021 and sent to the COVID19 IMPACT project lab on August 18, 2021. The
COVID19 IMPACT project lab reported on August 26, 2021 to CARPHA that the delta variant
of concern (VOC) – B.1.617.2 was detected in two samples.
One sample was collected during entry screening at the AIA from a fully vaccinated traveler who
arrived from England with a negative PCR result on August 12, 2021. The Molecular Lab Unit
(MLU) of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment subsequently reported on
August 12, 2021 that the traveler had tested positive. The other sample was from an vaccinated
traveler who arrived on August 9, 2021 and tested positive on August 12, 2021 while in quarantine. Both travelers then transitioned to approved isolation accommodations, and have
since tested negative for COVID-19.
Routine contact tracing detected six other COVID-19 positive cases associated with these
travelers. All of these positive cases have since been cleared by negative SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-
19) PCR tests.
Three (3) new COVID-19 positive cases were reported from two hundred and nineteen (219)samples processed on Wednesday August 25th, 2021, resulting in a positivity rate of 1.4%.
Two(2) new COVID-19 positive cases were reported from two hundred and ninety-three (293) samples processed on Thursday August 26th, 2021, resulting in a positivity rate of 0.7%.
Sixteen (16) new recoveries were noted over the reporting period. Eighteen (18) cases are currently active and twelve (12) persons with COVID-19 have died.
Two thousand three hundred
and thirty-one (2331) cases of COVID-19 and two thousand, three hundred and one (2301) recoveries have been recorded in St. Vincent and the Grenadines since March 2020.
In view of the increased risk of infection and subsequent transmission of COVID-19 posed by the growing incidence of variants of concern in persons entering St. Vincent and the Grenadines, strict compliance with all protocols and recommendations is strongly recommended.
These include the effective use of masks, physical distancing, hand sanitizing and immunization with
available vaccines.
