The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs continues to manage the fourth wave in country. From July 25, 2021 to present we note 7,044 cases at an average of 72 cases per day. In the management of the fourth wave, we have also carried out over 30,000 tests; 50% of the diagnosed cases are in the age group 25-49years and 57% of the cases are female. At present we have 346 active cases in country. The majority of the cases are from Castries, Gros- Islet, VieuxFort and Babboneau.

We continue to manage a COVID-19 outbreak at the Bordelais Correctional Facility. There are presently 22 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Respiratory Hospital, 1 in critical condition and 4 are severely ill.

The daily infection rate for the past week was 11.8 per 100,000 per day which is a 30% decrease from the previous week. We note a steady decline in the rate of transmission at this point with a present rate of 1.1. During that period we note 165 COVID-19 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 2.3%. Males account for 57% of the deaths.

Today Monday November 1, 2021 the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs received notification from the Caribbean Public Health Agency of 9 new cases of the Delta Variant. All of the cases are nationals, from the south western zone of the island. 6 of them are female, 3 male and the ages range from 38 to 79 years. A total of 54 cases of the Alpha Variant and 31 cases of the Delta Variant have been diagnosed in country thus far. 

We continue to note the reduction in the transmission rate, hospitalization rates, positivity rates, and prevalence rates.

This week, we continue to facilitate increased social activities for fully vaccinated persons. We recommend a gradual transition into the high risk services to ensure it is implemented in a sustainable way. We are working to prevent further spikes during the festive season. We continue to ask the public to work with us and exhibit responsible behavior to ensure our recorded COVID-19 numbers remain low. We are also working to ensure the sustainable school re-opening for all of our children. Let us all take personal responsibility to keep ourselves and families safe. Our behaviour as adults directly affects the education of our children at this point.

At present we have available both the Pfizer and Astra Zeneca vaccine free of charge in country at the various wellness centers. These vaccines have been proven to be safe and effective in protecting persons from developing COVID-19, its severe forms, complications, hospitalizations and death. The booster Pfizer vaccine is also available for persons who have had both doses of the Astra Zeneca for over 3-6 months. Parents are encouraged to vaccinate their children from 12 years and older, let us make the educational environment safer.

We continue to advise the public to remain vigilant and adhere to the protocols that are put in place to keep us safe. These include regular hand washing, use of face mask in public places, avoiding crowds and persons with respiratory symptoms and keeping frequently touched surfaces clean.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing updates to the public as new information becomes available. For more information please contact the Office of the Chief Medical Officer or the Epidemiology Unit, at 468-5309/468-5317 respectively.