Five additional COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

A release from the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) dated October 15 said the first death is an 81-year-old female who tested  positive for COVID-19 on September 26th, 2021, was admitted to the COVID ward at the Milton  Cato Memorial Hospital and died on October 11th, 2021. The second death is a 72-year-old female who tested positive  for COVID-19 on October 9th, 2021, was admitted to the COVID ward at the Milton Cato  Memorial Hospital and died on October 10th, 2021. The third death was a 93-year-old female who tested positive for  COVID-19 on October 11th, 2021 and died at home on October 14th, 2021. A 64-year-old male who  tested positive for COVID-19 on October 5th, 2021, was admitted to the COVID ward at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital and died on October 15th, 2021 was the fourth death. The fifth death was a 57-year-old male who died on October  13th, 2021 and tested positive for COVID-19 during postmortem testing.

All the patients died of  COVID-19 pneumonia, had underlying conditions, and were unvaccinated. Their deaths bring the  death toll from COVID-19 to 47. Two other deaths in COVID-19 positive patients  are currently under investigation.

One hundred and three (103) new COVID-19 positive cases were reported from seven hundred  and seven (707) samples collected on Thursday October 7th, 2021, resulting in a positivity of  14.6%. Four (4) of the new cases were imported cases. Fourteen (14) rapid antigen positives cases  were reported from flu clinics on October 7th, 2021.

An additional ninety-eight (98) new COVID-19 positive cases were reported from four hundred  and eighty-one (481) samples collected on Friday October 8th, 2021, resulting in a positivity of  20.4%. One (1) of the new cases was detected during exit screening. Thirty-five (35) rapid antigen  positive cases were reported from flu clinics on October 8th, 2021.

There are currently seven (7) patients admitted for COVID-19 at the Argyle Isolation Facility. All are unvaccinated. Nineteen (19) patients are admitted to the COVID-19 wards at the Milton Cato  Memorial Hospital. Seventeen (17) patients are unvaccinated, and two (2) patients are partially  vaccinated.

Thirty-seven (37) new recoveries were noted over the reporting period. One thousand five hundred  and thirty-one (1531) cases are currently active and forty-seven (47) persons with COVID-19 have  died. Four thousand and four hundred and eighteen (4418) cases of COVID-19 and two thousand,  eight hundred and forty (2840) recoveries have been recorded in St. Vincent and the Grenadines  since March 2020.

In view of the confirmed presence of the Delta, Mu and Gamma variants in the community and  the significant increase in the number of new infections, transmission, severe COVID-19 disease  and deaths, strict enforcement and compliance with all protocols and recommendations by  everyone is strongly recommended. The correct and consistent use of masks, avoidance of crowds,  physical distancing, proper hand sanitizing and immunization with available vaccines have all been  proven to significantly reduce the risk of being infected, getting sick and or dying from the  COVID-19 virus.