Eighteen new Covid-19 cases confirmed in SVG

St Vincent and the Grenadines on Saturday confirmed 18 new COVID-19  cases, all of whom are nationals detected during exit screening, contact tracing,  testing at flu clinics and targeted screening, a release from the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) said.

There are now 597 local cases of COVID-19, the majority of whom are linked to various  clusters, the release said. 

One hundred and thirty-four persons have recovered, 602 cases remain active and two persons with COVID-19 have died. Seven hundred and thirty-eight cases of COVID-19 have been reported in St Vincent  and the Grenadines since March 2020. All positive cases will remain isolated until  cleared. All close contacts of positive cases, must remain in their place of quarantine  until receipt of their results. 

“The public is asked to comply with the mass gatherings protocol which restricts all  indoor mass gatherings, including funerals and house parties, to 10 persons,  and outdoor mass gatherings to 20 persons. Outdoor gatherings include  open air crusades, limes, outdoor fetes, gatherings around open bars (e.g. Heritage  Square), gatherings with direct access to the courtyard or large yard or a large pool  area, catamaran cruises, beach and river picnics. 

“All residents of and visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines are reminded of the  importance of consistently wearing facial coverings to protect themselves from  being infected with the virus which causes COVID-19. Hand hygiene and physical  distancing are also basic measures of infection prevention and control,” the release said.