Governor Jonathan Johnson
SABA--There is currently only one person with COVID-19 in Saba, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson said Wednesday in an update on the coronavirus pandemic.
He said he was “pleased” to announce that one of the patients with the virus had recovered in the meantime. This means this patient has been tested negative for the virus twice, therefore is no longer infectious to others and can come out of isolation.
Saba’s COVID-19 status now stands at one active case. There are currently 21 persons in quarantine.
Johnson said the Public Health Department continues to monitor the situation on the island and test persons in quarantine and those who report possible symptoms.
He stressed that no one in the Saba community should be stigmatised. “This illness does not discriminate in terms of who it affects, and neither should we.”
Although the island is nearing the end of its fourth week of stay-at-home measures, Johnson said that persons who were granted exemption letters to go on the road for certain specific tasks such as going to the automated teller machine (ATM) or to their business or to tend to their farms should realise that these letters were given out to tend to specific tasks in a set timeframe. “Other activities or visiting different locations should not occur,” Johnson warned.
Considering the steps to be taken when schools and after-school activities reopen, he said the public entity is currently in the process of meeting with all education stakeholders in Saba to consider the best way forward.
“At the moment information about COVID-19 indicates that children get sick less often and likely also transmit the disease less. We will do as much as possible to ensure that the appropriate hygiene and safety measures can be taken.”
Johnson said that in this “time of uncertainty” he and public health doctor Koen Hulshof, who is the advisor on outbreak preparedness and response for the Caribbean Netherlands, will give a public address to provide clarity as to how to proceed and what has been termed the “new normal.”
Johnson stressed that Saba has so far contained the virus, but that does not mean that Sabans should let their guard down. “We do want to return to some normalcy, but we have to continue to be vigilant, maintaining social distancing, and not engage in physical interaction unnecessarily.”
He urged residents to uphold good hand and cough hygiene, and if they have any symptoms to call A.M. Edwards Medical Centre.
