BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 21st May 2021)- Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris in an address to the nation on Friday 21^st May 2021, revealed that three additional COVID-19 cases here in the Federation of St.Kitts and Nevis, bringing a total of 49 recorded cases with four being active to date.

This latest information comes two days after an announcement by the Chief Medical Officer (Dr. Hazel Laws)-on Wednesday 19^th May- relating to case 46, a national with no history of travel.

PM Harris told that as of that night following a contact tracing exercise, 229 results were returned from the lab, 226 were negative and 3 are positive while the results of 86 samples were being waited on.

He gave details of the latest cases as follows below:

Case #47 is an imported case. The individual is an inbound passenger from Argentina who arrived in the Federation on May 9^th, 2021. The individual is stable and in isolation at a COVID-19 certified hotel.

Case #48 is a national who also does not have a travel history but had significant contact with case #47.  

Case #49 is a national who is a close relative of case #46.

“In summary the investigations have revealed that case #46 also had significant contact with imported case #47 and case #48 works at the same facility and may have had similar exposure. Case #49 is a household contact of case #46,” he pointed out further.

PM Harris reported that through the Ministry of Health a robust contact tracing exercise began on Wednesday May 19, 2021, and revealed that over 22 persons related to the recently confirmed cases have been placed in quarantine and tested over the last two days, 315 close contacts of these cases were identified and tested. 

PM Harris said the process of contact tracing and testing will continue.

This case had no history of travel but a detailed contact tracing exercise was launched to determine if there were others who were exposed and to identify the most likely source of infection of case 46. 

This evening I wish to update you on the present situation. 

Additionally, PM Harris reported that through the Ministry of Health a robust contact tracing exercise began on Wednesday May 19, 2021, and revealed that over 22 persons related to the recently confirmed cases have been placed in quarantine and tested and also over the last two days, 315 close contacts of these cases were identified and tested. 

This is a mixed blessing and we thank the almighty God that through our extensive contact tracing the majority of persons tested are negative. 

One more case of COVID-19 is one case to many but we are grateful that it was only 3 and we have discovered the most likely contact source of case 46.