ANGUILLA--A release from the Ministry of Health on March 26 announced that two of the four samples sent from Anguilla to Caribbean Public Health Agency CARPHA tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and two were negative.
The first positive case is an imported one – a 27-year-old female visitor from the US who arrived in Anguilla on March 11. The second positive case, a 47-year-old male resident, is a close contact of the first case. They both have mild symptoms and have been placed in isolation since they were first suspected. The Ministry of Health and Health Authority staff have initiated aggressive contact tracing to identify every individual who may have come in contact with them. All individuals identified will be placed under quarantine and tested.
The government has issued further measures that will come into force at midday today, Friday, March 27. All persons other than those providing essential services will be required to stay at home and only leave their residence to seek medical care, to buy food or fuel or to make use of banking services. All public gatherings, including church services, are prohibited. All bars and other non-essential services will close. Restaurants and other food outlets are not allowed to provide sit-down service but may offer take-out.
The government and Ministry of Health are urging residents not to panic and instead be guided by the practices of hygiene that have been outlined. To date, of a total of nine suspected cases five have tested negative, two positive and results are pending for two. The Ministry of Health and the government of Anguilla maintain that the health and safety of the nation continue to be the utmost priority.
