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(BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, March 25, 2020):- Two members from the same household are the first 2 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Federation of St.Kitts-Nevis.
The 21 yr old male and 57 yr female are nationals who returned from a short trip to the US . The duo were immediately put into mandatory self quarantine upon their return to the federation and during there quarantine they developed symptoms and were tested.
The positive tests were confirmed on the evening of Tuesday, March 24, 2020.

In a national statement on the situation, Minister of State with responsibility for Health, the Honourable Wendy Phipps stated that both patients, who have recent travel histories to New York, USA, arrived in the Federation on March 18, 2020, were tested on March 20 and have been in home quarantine ever since their return to St. Kitts and Nevis.

Up until March 24, 2020, New York had recorded some 23, 230 confirmed cases of the COVID-19.

Minister Phipps sought to remind the public that the infection of both patients is travel-related, “meaning that the cases of COVID-19 were imported into the country.”

The minister further noted that every effort is now being taken to prevent the possibility of community or local transmission of the virus.

Three main measures are being taken in this regard. These are in-depth contact tracing in an effort to correctly assess the persons with whom both patients would have interacted; quarantine and monitoring of the contacts of the patients in order to ensure that they are handled as per WHO-approved protocols, and based on data collected from contact tracing, containment of the infection would be executed in order to restrict spread of the infection in the local community.

Furthermore, plans are being put in place to fully execute the National Pandemic Virus Plan that has been approved in response of COVID-19.

“This is not a time for panic and fear. In fact, the opposite is required of all of us: we are called upon to remain calm and to follow the advice of the Ministry of Health, which is the official national authority on health information related to the novel coronavirus,” the honourable minister stated.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has pledged to do everything in its power “to maintain and protect the health, wellness and quality of life of our people.”