KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent (CMC) — St. Vincent and the Grenadines Wednesday night announced that it has recorded its first case of the coronavirus (COVID-19) after a national returned to the country from a meeting in the United Kingdom.
Health authorities speaking at a news conference said the female is between the age 30 and 35 and that the Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) had confirmed the results of the test.
Health Minister Luke Browne told reporters that the authorities have implemented the necessary protocols to deal with the situation and the patient is in isolation at home and three members of her family have been placed in quarantine.
“It is an individual who is exhibiting mild symptoms and that is consistent with what you would see in most cases of COVID-19. So we reiterate that 80% of the persons who get COVID-19 will only develop a mild version of the disease with limited symptoms.
“And it is only in a case where the 20% group that you might have a more severe version of it, but in most instances, mild or severe, you are expected to fully recover and we expect full recovery in respect to this particular case and we note that only persons who are very old — over 80 and who have an underline health condition are vulnerable to this,” he said, urging nationals to continue to undertake proper hygiene practices.
Browne said that the plans were moving ahead for a suitable isolation facility and there were also no plans at the moment for a broad based ban on travel from Europe.
“At the moment we have in place quarantine restrictions for persons travelling from certain countries including countries in Europe, such as Italy as a case in point and there is no intention at this moment, of course this is an evolving situation and we assess things as they develop, to carry out a broad based ban on travel from Europe or from any other particular part of the world,” Browne said.
“It is a case of us trying to as best as possible manage the risk that is associated with coronavirus … keep everybody in the loop on what we are doing in terms of risk management, make sure when there is information, we share that information with the public,” he added.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the second Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to announce a coronavirus case in the past 24 hours.
Guyana on Wednesday announced one death as a result of the virus.
President David Granger Wednesday night announced that a 52-year-old Guyanese woman, who returned from the United States on March 5, died on Wednesday — six days later — is Guyana’s first “imported case” of COVID-19.
Granger said the woman, who went to a government-owned health care and treatment institution, had uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension.
She subsequently died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Since Dec. 31, when China first reported cases of the novel coronavirus disease to the World Health Organization, it has spread to dozens of countries around the world, including the United States.
As of March 11, there are more than 121,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 worldwide, with major outbreaks in Mainland China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea.
Browne told reporters that the travel ban is “not really on the table at the moment, but of course we assess the situation as it evolves to make sure we do our best for risk prevention”.
With the first case of coronavirus being discovered here, let us hope that this now truly bungling Gonsalves administration could find the necessary desire to take the welfare of all Vincentians more seriously, instead of the disgraceful cavalier approach that they had previously shown and only so recently too.
With the world now officially being gripped by coronavirus and it being declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, this issue is not a simple matter at all, thus “Donald Trump BANS visitors to the US from Europe for 30 days starting at midnight on Friday in fight to stop coronavirus”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8102665/Donald-Trump-closes-borders-Europe-pledges-financial-aid-sick.html
Therefore, one must ask, does Mr Luke Browne really know what he is there talking about? “March 10 (Reuters) – Jamaica’s ministry of health and wellness confirmed on Tuesday the island nation’s first imported case of the coronavirus, in its capital city of Kingston”. Does Mr Browne know of this?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-8098347/Jamaica-confirms-imported-case-coronavirus.html
We further see that in Italy how the authorities have responded with a total lockdown. “Italy announces all shops except pharmacies and food outlets will be CLOSED as coronavirus death toll climbs by 31% to 827 in 24 hours and intensive care units are advised to stop treating the elderly”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8101135/Intensive-care-units-stop-treating-elderly-coronavirus-outbreak-worsens.html
Again one must ask, does Luke Brown truly knows what he is there talking about when he says “So we reiterate that 80% of the persons who get COVID-19 will only develop a mild version of the disease with limited symptoms”.
“And it is only in a case where the 20% group that you might have a more severe version of it, but in most instances, mild or severe, you are expected to fully recover and we expect full recovery in respect to this particular case and we note that only persons who are very old — over 80 and who have an underline health condition are vulnerable to this,”
With the World total of infected persons so far having has reached a shocking 125,777 cases and the disclosed deaths being put at 4,610, it sure cannot be said to be “much ado about nothing”!
Therefore, let us hope that these bunch of bungling buffoons can get their act together, and treat this deadly coronavirus with the due respect that it sure deserves!
If Italy has seen it fitting and necessary to approach it with a total lockdown because of 196 deaths in one day, one thinks that Mr Luke Browne and his boss ought to be much better informed for the good of all Vincentians.
The name of the person,the parish/village,and how they believe the person contracted the virus should be told to the public.
As we know, travel is not a one-sided affair. There has to be an origin and a destination; meaning: We may not have a ban but the destination country may have one and yes! we do have a quasi-ban. If a person is, or a group are coming from Italy for a 2-week vacation, spending it all in quarantine is the same as a ban because they will not be released into the population and what about the Vincentians that are responsible for this person’s/group’s garbage removal, feeding and possibly washing bed linens and clothing?
I am glad that SVG is getting equipment that will be more accurate in testing for the virus but realize getting the virus in large numbers within our population will be inevitable; unless a vaccine is found. If a vaccine is found, what will it cost? PLEASE REALIZE A EUGENICS MOVEMENT EXISTS THAT INCLUDES BILL GATES ADMITING ON MANY OCCASION THAT HE AND HIS GROUP WNT TO DRASTICALLY REDUCE THE WORLD’S POPULATION! THIS VIRUS IS A DREAM FOR THESE PEOPLE! The government of SVG is handling this properly at this point. THERE IS NO CAUSE TO PANIC. Much of the problems in the world concerning this virus is due to the understandable panic being caused by government and society as a whole. As I wrote in a recent article on this site: the world will be drastically different weeks from now. It is changing even faster than that. The USA has just placed a travel ban on all flights from Europe!!!
If you are today returning from spending 10 days in a cabin in the woods without hearing news, the world is now a much different place than when you left. In a month or so it will be even more different. In a few months things may even get much worse. It is possible that things will not start to calm down until either a vaccine is found or the majority of the world would have already been exposed to the virus and recovered. That could take more than a year.
What should we do as individuals, family, as a country to ease the shock of what may come, financially, logistically, etc…? As a small island nation it may not be so much what happens here that will be drastic, but what we have to react to from what happens in the rest of the world.
There has been no mention of isolation for the other passengers that were on that flight to SVG. What measures are in place for them?
Now here is a thing that all we Vincentians should know and take serious note of. The “Killer coronavirus can survive in the air for THREE HOURS and on plastic and steel surfaces for up to three days, scientists reveal”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8100999/Tests-new-virus-lives-surfaces-3-days.html
With this in mind, serious considerations should now be given to how we all use transport, enclosed spaces and crowded areas. Denmark has now become the second country in Europe to go on coronavirus lockdown as its Prime Minister announces that all schools, kindergartens and universities are to be close for two weeks.
Moreover, it is further announced that, “Italians with coronavirus symptoms who refuse to isolate could face 21 years in prison for ‘malicious murder’ as bars and shops are closed and last tourists leave before flights are banned”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8103861/Italy-closes-bars-restaurants-streets-remain-empty.html
What does all these things tell our Government and us Vincentians as a whole, as the world now reacts?
Luke Brown spreading fake news about 20% + population above 80 w underlying health problems.
“And it is only in a case where the 20% group that you might have a more severe version of it, but in most instances, mild or severe, you are expected to fully recover and we expect full recovery in respect to this particular case and we note that only persons who are very old — over 80 and who have an underline health condition are vulnerable to this,”
On the contrary.
President David Granger Wednesday night announced that a 52-year-old Guyanese woman, who returned from the United States on March 5, died on Wednesday — six days later — is Guyana’s first “imported case” of COVID-19.
What are the real facts?
How many people in SVG is infected? The other day big belly was saying we have quarantine and isolation facilities in case of an outbreak. A lie?
Well, I hope this virus doesn’t hit SVG hard but, seeing Luke Brown is the minister of health, not junior minister, minister. God help us.
R I am.not a supporter of Ralph but you have no business oto refer to him as high belly. This discription tells me that youare very shallow person intelligencewise and have the IQ of a flea. It speaks volumes of the writer. Rest assure as you aged the chickens will come home to.roost.