As Covid-19 continues to take the world by storm. Across the region in Saint Lucia, the first recorded pediatric COVID-19 death has been recorded.
A three-year-old female child with serious underlying medical conditions from Babonneau was admitted at the Respiratory Hospital on January 27, 2022, and passed away on February 8, 2022. The Ministry of Health expresses sincere condolences to the family affected at this time.
To date, cases below 18 years of age make up 10-13% of COVID-19 cases. These cases have been mild and have recovered well. The main risk factors for severe COVID-19 in children include chronic lung disease, neurological disorders, cardiovascular disease, prematurity and airway abnormality.
As of February 13, 2022, Saint Lucia has diagnosed a total of 22,121 cases in country, with 1,544 active cases presently.
The daily infection rate for the last 7 days is 28.1 per 100,000 populations per day which represents a 55% reduction from last week, with a 37% average testing positivity rate and a transmission rate of 1.6. We have noted a total of 348 COVID-19 deaths.
Presently, St. Lucia has 28 positive cases admitted at the Respiratory Hospital, and 2 are severely ill. Since the commencement of the 5th wave on December 16, 2021, 8,992 cases have been diagnosed with an average of 152 cases per day. Women account for 58% of the cases and 52 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded 65% of which is male. The majority of the deaths are COVID-19 related due to other associated chronic health conditions. Tourists account for 3.4% of the cases diagnosed for the past 7 days but 4.7% of the total cases during the 5th wave.
The cases of COVID-19 noted on a daily basis still have the capacity to increase hospitalizations, deaths and affect productivity in the workplace. We appeal to all organizations, public and private sector to ensure the strengthening of all public health protocols. As we strive to live safely with COVID-19, the Ministry of Health is in the process of reviewing and updating all protocols in collaboration with the various stakeholders.