St Lucia considers second lockdown after COVID-19 spike
The St Lucian government has hinted a second lockdown may be necessary as the country recorded 89 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, January 29.
According
to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the latest cases were a part of a batch
of samples taken from January 21, 2021 to January 29, 2021.
The
ministry further revealed all of the new cases were St Lucian nationals and
that they had attended respiratory clinics in their respective communities
where they were tested for COVID-19.After being tested they were told to
quarantine, however the ministry now says arrangements are being made to place
them in isolation.
Following
the spike, the National Emergency Management Advisory Committee said they were
considering tougher lockdown restrictions which are expected to come into
effect following the expiration of old protocols on February 1.
While
no new measures were immediately announced, Nicole McDonald, senior
communications officer in the Office of the Prime Minister, said there would be
a further review of protocols to deal with the COVID-19 situation.
To
date, St Lucia has a total of 1,195 COVID cases, of which 562 are active.
