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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, May 26, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – In an address to the nation on Tuesday, May 25, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris expressed his empathy to the individuals, families and all those affected by the recent cluster of COVID-19 cases in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Withthe announcement of one additional case on Tuesday (May 25) night’s edition of Leadership Matters, there are now 16 active cases of the virus in the Federation. 

PrimeMinister Harris said, “I wish to empathize with the parents, teachers, students and the communities impacted by the events over the last week.”

Thehonourable prime minister also made a strong appeal to members of the public to be sensitive to those who are currently affected. 

“We should avoid naming persons, circulating photos and or disseminating any information on the affected individuals,” added Prime Minister Harris. 

ChiefMedical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws,  stated that all 16 active cases are in a stable condition and are being monitored closely. Dr. Laws also noted that of the 16 active cases of COVID-19, seven are children in the age range from three (3) to 15 years. The other nine active cases are adults between the age group of 33 to 49 years.

Giventhat individuals under the age of 18 years of age cannot be administered the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in St. Kitts and Nevis, Prime Minister Harris again urged all civil minded adults in society to accept the jab, not just for themselves but for their children as well. 

“All of us want to see an end to COVID-19.  To come out of the shadow of COVID-19, we must all get vaccinated sooner rather than later.  Now is the time to support – not slow down – our immunisation programme. These new infections show how quickly and far COVID-19 can spread. We see how it can disrupt our schools, traumatize unsuspecting families and create anxiety in many workplaces and the broader society,” said Prime Minister Harris.  

Asof May 25, 2021, a total of 23,340 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have so far been administered in St. Kitts and Nevis since the commencement of the Federation’s vaccination programme. This represents 51.6 percent of the Government’s target population.