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Covid variant
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Some health officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines suspect that the new, more easily-transmitted strain of COVID-19 is present in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said, on Monday, that this suspicion, however, is not supported by the result of tests conducted on COVID-19 samples.

“Therefore, we have to be even extra careful, even though I am advised that CARPHA had, upon testing of the samples which had been sent to them to see if there was a new strain that it was, said no.

“But there are persons in the health authorities who suspect that that might be the case,” he said on Star FM.

Gonsalves was at the time commenting on a large funeral in Barrouallie, on Saturday, which flouted the COVID-19 protocols that restrict indoor gatherings to 10 and outdoor gatherings to 20.

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He noted the dynamism of the pandemic, including identifying the new strain.

“But all these things, it’s a moving target and you have to be checking it all the time because we see that the new strain out of the UK is in Trinidad. You notice that?” the prime minister said.

“It might well be in other places, too, nearby and we can’t rule out the possibility of it being here. I am just talking – I’m talking without having CARPHA saying that.

“I don’t want it to be said that Ralph said there is a new strain here because you know people take thing out of context what you are saying, two or three words, and I may come to that just now, though that is not such an important issue in us going forward, and try to create mischief nuh,” the prime minister said.

“So it is always important to listen carefully. And the only way we can have a conversation is that people must listen to you carefully when you speak, you must speak carefully, and I must speak carefully so that I’m not misunderstood.

“So I just want to make the point that there is no confirmation that there is a new strain but this is a moving target and you can’t rule out any possibility because you have to be doing that particular test on an ongoing basis,” Gonsalves said.

Since Dec. 28, SVG has recorded 622 cases of COVID-19 among nationals with no recent travel history.

The country had recorded a total of 763 cases of the viral illness since March 2020, when the first case was detected.

Two persons have died of the disease, and 153 persons have recovered, leaving 608 active cases. 

4 replies on “Health authorities ‘suspect’ new COVID strain in SVG –PM”

  1. Shut down air and boat travel for four weeks and make quarantine stricter. This is not a time for holidays!

  2. So far, they say these new strains are much weaker. The normal behavior of a virus is to weaken so that it can spread more, so that may be a good thing, depending on your education level. People that are frail and have pre-existing health problems that weaken the immune system should try to keep themselves safe. IN MY OPINION, all others have nothing to worry about. I talked to A HEALTH CARE WORKER on Skype a few days ago that went to fly to France from another European city, but were found positive of Covid, so they had to go back home for at least 10 days. They told me they did feel some flu symptoms but nothing serious. People in Europe are realizing the truth but it will still take many months for people in SVG to stop wetting their pants. In any case, those that financed the creation of this virus (Tony and Bill especially) should be seriously punished!

  3. Spicy Ollivierre says:

    The possibility exit that the new virus can enter and u still won’t closed the ports for a while and let the country catch it self but we are so brokes that civil servants won’t get paid and that’s how the 5 star govern like a boss SMH

  4. Urlan Alexander says:

    ,cHahaha. Was it me who implied in my reckless chatter that if a person is popular how are you going to limit his funeral attendance? Yeah Ralph it is from you we heard that SVG may have a new strain.. You need to be more circumspect in your rantings. Too many times your foot is getting into your mouth. Just shut up!

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