ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – Health authorities Tuesday warned that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic situation in Grenada had become “serious and very dire” and reiterated appeals to the population to get vaccination in order to curb the further spread of the virus that has now resulted in the country having 267 active cases including a five month-old baby.
Dr. Myana Charles, speaking at post cabinet news conference (CMC Photo)“What we seeing is that our positivity rates and by that, I mean of all the tests we conduct how many cases will show up positive. A few days ago that rate was three per cent. Today we are at 11 per cent,” said Senior Medical officer, Dr. Mayana Charles.
She told the post cabinet news conference that it means a few days ago, health officials would have had to conduct 33 tests before registering one positive case.
“Today we only conduct about 10 tests before we see one positive case So the situation is very, very serious and we need to take heed. We need to remember the COVID public health preventative measures. We need to wear our masks but it is not only wearing the mask but wearing it properly,” she added.
“Right now, more than ever we need the general public to take heed and practice those measures. Additionally, 83 per cent of the persons who have been infected of the active cases have not been vaccinated. ‘So what do we see here? We see that vaccination is working and I want to encourage persons to go out there and get vaccinated.”
Dr. Charles said that of the 267 active cases, 250 are local with 51 per cent being females, adding that those infected range from ages five months to 97 years.
The Acting Director of Medical Services, Dr. Tyiesha Donald said that six persons are now hospitalized with two being in critical condition and the other four “stable”.
Health Minister Nickolas Steele told the news conference that Grenada is not unique in its problems regarding the treatment of COVID-19 patients and that vaccination also plays a vital role in preventing the spread of the disease, particularly the Delta variant strain.
“It is not about closing the borders, it is not about opening the borders. It is not about the type of government, whether democratic, whether left-leaning, right leaning, whether newly elected or in government for decades.
“It is about a people coming together and recognizing as a group what needs to be done as a nation. It is about us getting vaccinated,” Steele said, adding “we are seeing other nations getting close to life as normal…because they are vaccinated.
“There is not a single example of a nation that is not in dire straits now because of low vaccination. Every single country that has a low rate of vaccination is in dire straits…and Grenada is and will be no different and I am pleading with you…to stop the spread of this virus with your intervention we can do it.
The intervention that we are requesting is that you follow the protocols and you get vaccinated, please,” said Steele, expressing his condolences to the family of a 59-year-old woman, who became the country’s second facility as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The woman, reported by the media here to be the wife of a pastor, died on Monday night at the hospital, less than 24 hours after she had been rushed to the facility for treatment. She had not been vaccinated against the virus.
Her death came the same day when Grenada registered for the first time, 104 cases of the virus, since the first case was detected in March last year.
