Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George says Saint Lucia is still at a “critical” stage in the COVID-19 pandemic despite encouraging data which indicates a declining infection rate. The number of “active” cases, which days ago exceeded more than 700 cases, dropped to 277 cases according to the Health Ministry on Tuesday. Authorities have also relaxed some of the prevention protocols. Former president of the Medical and Dental Association Dr. Alphonse St. Rose analyzed the developments with MBC Prime.

Saint Lucia marked a historic moment in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday. The island’s public health workers, the Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet rolled up their sleeves to receive their first jabs of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Last week the Dominica and Barbados governments gifted 3000 doses to Saint Lucia weeks ahead of another 74,000 doses expected to begin arriving on island by the end of February. The Prime Minister says India government has also pledged to donate up to 40,000 COVID-19 doses.

On the advice of the World Health Organization, the Health Ministry has allowed asymptomatic and mild COVID positive patients to recover at home. However, on Wednesday the Health Ministry announced they will be scrapping the “mixed model of care” for COVID patients citing [the] ‘…inadequacy of some homes to give the required isolation and breaches…’ The home care policy has been in place for several weeks. The 126 bed Respiratory Hospital is at capacity which has prompted the government to commandeer more hotels to alleviate the capacity constraints at the Respiratory Hospital.