The first case of COVID-19 in Saint Lucia was diagnosed on March 13, 2020. Since then, Saint Lucia has recorded a total of 26, 564 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of June 12, 2022 and the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs is currently managing the 6th wave in country.
As the pandemic evolves, changes have been made to the various protocols including testing, quarantine, contact tracing and isolation. This is in keeping with global standards as we aim to strike the balance between management of the pandemic and its impact on the health, economic, educational and other sectors of society.
The Ministry of Health has most recently updated the protocols for notification of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Persons who visit a respiratory clinic or private facility for COVID-19 testing will now be required to provide some additional information. The information required are vaccination data including status and date of vaccination; place of work, school and grade for school-age individuals and very importantly a valid email address.
Persons who test positive for COVID-19 will now be notified of their results by a Public Health Officer attached to the testing site via phone or email. Along with the results, patients will receive instructions pertaining to isolation protocols, home monitoring and warning symptoms that should prompt medical care.
On receipt of the positive COVID-19 results, patients are expected to inform their employees, schools and close contacts so that contact tracing, quarantine and testing can be initiated. Follow up of confirmed cases will continue to be done by the home isolation monitoring team.
Patients are advised to contact the respiratory centre where they got tested if they have not received results within 24-72 hours after testing. Contact information for the respiratory clinics is as follows: Centre Phone Email Gros Islet Polyclinic 723-0663 [email protected] Vieux Fort Wellness Centre 518-5881 or 384-7344 [email protected] Dennery Hospital 468-7661 or 468-7662 [email protected] Soufriere Hospital 518-1905 or 468-7617 [email protected]
Patients who tested negative for COVID-19 will continue to be notified by the clinic where they were tested via telephone. Let us all continue to follow the protocols, take personal responsibility for our health and safety and by extension that of our family, friends and communities as we work to return to a state of normalcy.