Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 15, 2021 (SKNIS): Following the death of another person in St. Kitts and Nevis from COVID-19, Medical Chief of Staff of the Joseph N. France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, reiterated the call for individuals to take personal responsibility in the ongoing war against the deadly disease.
Information from the Ministry of Health indicated that eight persons have died from the virus to date. The seventh and eighth deaths were recorded on the 10th and 12th of September, 2021 respectively.
In a post on Facebook on the weekend, Dr. Wilkinson expressed condolences to the bereaved families and friends. He noted that local health authorities worked around the clock to keep the population safe until vaccines were developed and rolled out, and now people have to take personality responsibility to avail themselves of the pharmaceutical measure in addition to adhering to the non-pharmaceutical health protocols.
“We will continue to do all that we can to protect you from this deadly virus, but it is now time to take matters in your hand,” he stated. “This involves rolling up your sleeves and accepting the vaccine that we know is safe and effective. The vaccine is the best defense we have against severe disease leading to hospitalization and death.”
Dr. Wilkinson said that science has shown that vaccinated persons are offered a higher level of protection compared to individuals that opt not to take a jab. Vaccines are currently available for persons 12 years and above.
“The vast majority of the people who continue to get sick and end up hospitalized with severe disease are unvaccinated. The vast majority who die are unvaccinated. The numbers will continue to rise, and more will get sick and die if we all do not take personal responsibility in this fight,” he added.
The Medical Chief of Staff said that taking personal responsibility also includes wearing a face mask, frequently sanitizing hands, and maintaining physical distance from others.
At the end of Monday, September 13, 2021, health officials were monitoring 642 active cases while 860 persons have recovered. As of Tuesday 14th September, a total of 46,775 total doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered. In St. Kitts, 35,816 doses were administered while in Nevis, the count stands at 10,959. A total of 21,916 persons are fully vaccinated.
