As Saint Lucia continues to register COVID-19 cases daily during the past week, Chief Medical Officer Dr. (CMO) Sharon Belmar- George has disclosed the underreporting of infections.
“This past week we continue to register cases daily. These are underreported as we note the reluctance of the public to get tested,” Belmar-George disclosed in a statement on Thursday.
In addition, the CMO said the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) had confirmed the presence of two other new variants of concern – BA4 and BF5 in the country.
Concerning Monkeypox, Belmar-George said that the Ministry of Health had strengthened the public health system concerning early detection, surveillance, treatment, isolation, contact tracing, and testing.
And she revealed that Saint Lucia can now test for Monkeypox in the country at the Ezra Long Laboratory.
At the same time, the CMO said that the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs had received Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) reports from some healthcare providers on the island.
Belmar-George explained that Saint Lucia records HFMD cases yearly, and early interventions usually limit transmission.
