The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is suspected to be present in the British Virgin Islands but confirmation is being sought by the Ministry of Health.
Minister for Health Carvin Malone made the disclosure during the VIP Let’s Talk radio programme on Tuesday July 6.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has categorised the Delta version of the virus which was first discovered in India as a variant of concern (VOC).
This ultimately means that the Delta variant is associated with an increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology which may include: increase in virulence; or decrease in the effectiveness of public health measures or available diagnostics, vaccines or therapeutics.
Sample being sent to CARPHA in Trinidad
Speaking during the programme, Minister Malone said his ministry was sending samples to be confirmed by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago to confirm the variant of the virus presently in the territory.
He said, “We will have the samples sent out to Trinidad tomorrow to determine decisively what variant we’re dealing with. It is suspected, only suspected that it may well be the Delta variant but the fact is that we would have this done. We are also building capacity in the lab in order to do this.”
Spike was imminent/ Delta variant no joke
Minister Malone also said that he knew that a spike in the COVID-19 numbers within the territory was imminent as suggested by statistics across the region and the globe.
“I saw it coming, I knew it was coming because there were a lot of particular notices being given that we are not out of the woods. You cannot pretend that it cannot happen to you. It happened to St. Kitts, it happened to Trinidad, it happened all over the world that we have these particular spikes,” he said.
“The Delta variant is no joke. The Delta variant has been crippling first world nations. The United States is going to be affected by it, in certain places it’s being done already and as we open up our borders, we’re going to have this done,” he added.
Malone said the best way to combat the COVID-19 virus is to ensure the territory reaches herd immunity, where at least 70 to 80 percent of the BVI population is vaccinated.