GOVERNMENT MAKES QUARANTINE FACILITIES AVAILABLE AS A MEANS OF CURBING THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS.

In an effort to prevent the transmission and spread of COVID-19 in Saint Lucia, the government has ensured the establishment of quarantine facilities.

As of March 31, 2020, the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George has made note that Saint Lucia has 310 people in quarantine including both home-based and facility-based.

Dr. Belmar-George spoke on the need to routinely monitor people at the quarantine facilities in the event they show signs and symptoms of COVID-19.

“When we just started because the areas of risk was limited, the number of persons coming in, we were able to facilitate quarantine through home quarantine and we had an arrangement with a guest house for those who did not have the facilities for home quarantine. As COVID-19 progressed and more areas became high risk and even our travel restrictions list was extended, there was a need to utilize hotels to be able to have the capacity to manage the increased numbers. So, we have three quarantine facilities; two in the north and one in Castries.”

The Chief Medical Officer also spoke on the conditions at the various quarantine facilities.

“During quarantine there are very certain basic conditions that the quarantine authority has to ensure is provided. It has to be a safe area. Also, the state has to ensure that they are provided with food, their meals on a regular basis, water on a regular basis and we ensure that their medical needs are met. We have a wide range of persons under quarantine with different health needs so we ensure that we set up a small clinic in each of those facilities to ensure that they get their medication and all of their needs are met.”

The Department of Health and Wellness also ensures that people in quarantine are provided with psycho-social support.

The recommended duration of quarantine for COVID-19 is 14 days.