Today, Saturday December 19, 2020 the Ministry of Health received confirmation of two new cases of COVID-19. This brings the total number of cases diagnosed in country to date to 282.

One of the cases is a Saint Lucian national. Case #281 is a 59-year-old female from the Soufriere district She was seen at a community respiratory clinic, where she was assessed and tested for COVID-19. While awaiting receipt of her test result, she was placed in quarantine by a health practitioner. An epidemiological link has not been established for this care. Investigations are on-going by the contact tracing team to determine the possible existence of a link for this case. Arrangements have been made to place this individual into isolation.

The second case is a non-national. Case #282 is a 31-year-old female. She was placed in quarantine while awaiting receipt of her test result. The individual has since been placed in isolation. The Ministry of Health also reported two recoveries for today. This brings the number of active cases in country to 22. At present, all of the active cases are stable and none are in critical care.

Everyone is asked to continue practicing the recommended infection prevention and control guidelines to reduce the spread of the virus. - Wash your hands often during the day using soap and flowing water - Wear a mask in public places and ensure it covers the mouth, chin and nose - Maintain a distance of six feet from others - Use a bleach solution to sanitize frequently touched surfaces and frequently handled objects - Avoid contact with other people who have flu-like symptoms - If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, keep away from others and seek medical care at the closest community respiratory clinic.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness will continue providing updates as new information becomes available.