NON-PHARMACEUTICAL METHODS STILL IMPORTANT IN PREVENTING FURTHER TRANSMISSION OF COVID-19 – CMO DR. HAZEL LAWS  

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 18, 2021 (SKNIS):  As the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Hazel Laws during June 17, 2021, NEOC briefing outlined the aims of the National COVID-19 Task Force for protecting the lives of citizen and residents alike and measures persons can take to protect themselves.

“Our overall aim is to flatten the curve. We have four public health interventions that we have employed to help us in this fight against COVID-19. We have contact tracing; we continue testing; we continue our COVID-19 vaccination roll-out and then there is the restriction of movement over this two-week period,” said CMO Dr. Hazel Laws.

CMO Dr. Laws further stated that as of June 16, 2021, 66.3 percent of the target population has been covered with the first dose of the Oxford- AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, with 31 percent of the target population being fully vaccinated. It was noted that this represents a significant portion of the population who have acquired 83 percent immunity from the novel COVID-19 virus. She stated that this was an excellent achievement and encouraged persons who have not been diagnosed as positive to do their part in the fight against COVID-19.

“This in of itself will help break the chain of transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Those of us who have not been diagnosed with COVID-19 should wear a face mask, practice adequate hand hygiene and maintain a safe physical distance of 6 feet or more from others when in the public domain. Over this two-week period of strict restriction, we want you to stay at home for as much as possible and only leave if it’s for an essential reason or purpose,” said CMO Dr. Laws.   

CMO Dr. Laws also encouraged persons who have tested positive for COVID-19 to continue to boost their immune system in an effort to facilitate speedy recovery, to make sure they consume healthy meals, to make sure they maintain adequate hydration with water, and if possible, to engage in some form of physical activity. The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis on June 17, 2021, recorded its first death related to the deadly COVID-19 virus.

St. Kitts & Nevis’ COVID-19 Situation Report No. 448 states that the total number of confirmed cases to date is 279, with 208 active cases, 70 recovered cases, and one death.