Over 100 more cases in 4 days! BVI now has clusters, 256 active cases
More than 100 additional cases of COVID-19 have emerged in the BVI in the last four days, bringing the total number of active cases to a stammering 256 persons.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ronald Georges made that public announcement in another COVID-19 update this morning, Tuesday, December 28.
And while confirming that the territory now has ‘clusters’ of COVID-19 cases in sections of the territory, Dr Georges said the majority of these cases are on the main island of Tortola with 218.
A COVID-19 cluster is said to occur when there is a concentration of infections in the same area at the same time.
“In the Virgin Islands, clusters of cases have been identified among businesses, related to social gatherings, events, nightspots and other areas where persons congregate,” Dr Georges stated.
“In this holiday season and during this period of increased transmission, as we prepare to engage in the many family and social gatherings and enjoy the holiday season with our friends and families, let us remember that COVID-19 is still present amongst us, and we are to intentionally take the necessary precautions for our health and safety,” he added.
The CMO further said all samples previously sent to Caribbean Public Health Agency in Trinidad & Tobago for typing were positive for the Delta variant.
He said samples continue to be sent for typing on a regular basis.
Symptoms and how to access testing
Persons are reminded that they can access PCR testing at the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital Tent by registering at https://althea.bvi.care and by calling the Medical Hotline at 852-7650 if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.
Alternatively, private medical establishments also provide PCR testing, and rapid antigen type tests, and many persons have access to home self-test kits. The PCR test remains the ‘gold standard’ for diagnosis.
The symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhoea.
“If you or anyone you know have these symptoms you or they should immediately isolate and seek to be tested either by rapid test or PCR test … Given the increased COVID activity in the territory, all residents are asked to continue to be vigilant and abide by the established public health measures,” Dr Georges urged.
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Not too long ago, daily covid cases was in the single digits. Clearly something has gone wrong relative to adherence to covid protocol. Those who remain unvaccinated are not helping any to keep community spread to a minimum..
Its tiring and perplexing that there are some who would forgo taking any vaccine risking their healths, lives, and that of others. Nevertheless, I will continue to encourage holdouts to seriously consider getting any vaccines. It not only protects you but the larger community as well. We are all in this boat together.
The options are simple: Stay healthy and civid free, or get terribly sick from covid pneumonia and die a horrible death with your eyes wide open in a manner akin to a fish without water.
We will not get beyond this covid pandemic without as many people as possible becoming vaccinated.
I encourage folks to adhere to the covid guidelines put in place to protect us all, and never let your guards down. I see people out and about not wearing mask, or wearing them incorrectly and not socially distancing from each other when in large gatherings. Doing so is dangerous and no doubt is contributing to community spread.
People need to understand that the vaccines available saves lives. While no vaccine prevents infection, they do render you the ability to fight off that infection, avoid hospitalization, mechanical ventilation, and potential death.
Those of you who make it your business to discourage folks from taking the vaccine are doing the devils work imo and causing great harm.
People need to think for themselves and not those who at the end of the day could care less whether you drop death from covid. If you have questions about the vaccine, talk to your doctor instead of people who are not medically qualified to offer you sound advise.
The country now has the Phizer vaccine available to those who want. Fir those who had concerns about the Astrozenica, the Phizer vaccine is a great alternative. Even if you had another vaccine, the Phizer booster will boost your immunity and has proven to be effective and safe.
Whatever you do, please take something. Failure to do so could have dire consequences. Its like having sex without barrier protection. You make catch something or create another human.
Going bare without vaccination? You stand a very high chance of catching covid because its all around you and its just a matter if time and circumstances before you run into it.
Protect yourself, your love ones and your community. Remember we are all in this boat together. What affects one affects all.
Did pfizer prevent the premier and his deputy from catching covid? Heck, they are among the numbers reported (and goodness knows how many more joined them).
You are misinformed about how these vaccines work. You need to be educated about that. Let me help you should you be amenable to learn.
Ill repeat in case you missed it. The purpose if the vaccine is to offer you protection against a serious covid infection, the need for hospitalization, and potential death.
Being vaccinated does not prevent you from being infected. The antibodies from vaccination however will spring into action upon infection and limit its damage and the consequent illness.
No covid vaccine with a covid infection has a high risk of severe illness and death.
Covid vaccine plus covid infection results in a milder illness and decrease risk of death.
The immunity for covid develops with time. It takes approximately up to two weeks after your second shot to see an increase in antibody protection. Thus, infection and illness can occur anywhere along the immunization timeline while getting your shots.
For example if you got your second shot today, you can still contract a bad case of covid because your immunity to covid was not fully developed. Thats why we need to continue wearing our masks and practice socially distancing.
From media reports the Premier had his booster very recently and would not have had sufficient time to benefit from his booster. Booster or not it would not have prevented him from becoming infected. Some if you misunderstand that point.
Again from media reports he had delayed getting vaccinated in the first place, and once he got vaccinated the time between what was once considered full immunity back then had expired.
It is known that 6-8 months after the second shot, immunity from vaccination can drop as low as 50%. Thus the need for a booster which heightens that immune response as much as 14 times.
While I am not family with the Premiers medical record, I believe its a safe assumption that he has co-morbid factors affecting his vulnerability to a civid infection.
Im not surprise by his situation, as it happens with other folks, but the good news is that in all likelihood he will survive because he had those 3 shots. He will most likely live and thats the point of getting vaccinated.
If you have questions, again ask your doctor. The information I have just written is in keeping with the science. I will never come on this forum and mislead anyone particularly given this life and death infection.
It is humiliating and embarrassing to read these blogs and realize and know that there are vast amounts of ignorant, uninformed and clueless individuals inhabiting these parts. Clueless on all topics . Sadly, they also vote and give birth to their clones. No hope for the VI.
the only thing thats different is that they are testing consistently. Remember there was a break in testing right before curfew was lifted?
Covid went nowhere. Gov does mas when its suits them, gives the impression of inflation of cases and helps scare people when vaccination rates get low
How utterly and depressingly wrong you are
I’m staggered that “the total number of active cases to a stammering 256 persons.”
I had no idea thar stammering is a symptom
Why can’t we obtain free rapid antigen tests?
Because they aren’t “free,” someone has to pay for them, I.e the taxpayers.
What might be free for you isn’t free for someone else.
You can buy these on Amazon
We have to learn to deal with it. Covid will be around for a long time just like the common cold and flu. No more shutdowns. People will evolve and this too shall pass.
We need to do whatever we can at this time to get the numbers down:
1. Social distance
2. Get vaccinated if you don’t have an issue with the vaccine.
3. Wear your mask and wear it correctly.
4. Avoid crowds.
5. Practise proper sanitation protocol.
6. Work from home if possible.
7. Online learning until the spike is over. Schools are a petri dish for viruses. Online learning is not ideal but we don’t want our children ending up in the hospital.
8. Keep healthy- eat right, exercise and keep a positive outlook.
Right, all of that stuff that worked so great to keep cases down in the past.
We cannot keep doing this. Covid will be around forever. We have vaccines and treatments. MOVE ON.
These parents won’t practice discipline and stay their a** home but soon as anything is online learning to stress teachers the h**l out. I swear you all don’t like your children.Then after awhile of having them home, they’ll be on every social media site and calling the ministry/ minister to open school. I’m a fed up of the charade.Patents some of you make the dog sick. If you care so much about your children, keep out the bars and party a bit. You will not die.
This is flu season so you all need to stop getting people scared if we continue to make people scared we will never move on
All of a sudden, flu disappear and everything is covid. The folly.
Total bs.
Flu still here, never went away. Check CDC stats.
Wearing a mask, washing hands, etc, are what we were told to do to prevent the spread of the flu. And it works…
Check your folly
Covidiot
Check this page on Facebook ( 419 Scam Alert )
Vaccinated you will be fine, unvaccinated you might die. Choices have consequences..it’s your choice to make!
Time to thin the herd
shut down Trellis NYE party as Tola is full of the virus and ALL large scale parties on TORTOLA need to be cancelled forthe next 2 weeks. You all shut off JVD and ANEGADA for nothing , but now Tola is still wanting to party…
Cancel your own party if you’re scared.
How you going to accommodate all the tourists that are testing positive and can’t get out of the bvi ? Where they staying?
Yep, it is a cluster…but I would probably add another word before that (hint – it starts with an F)
Is better to get the disease dan get the vaccine
Take the virus instead