In Dominica, one East Coast community is currently being very closely monitored by the island’s health professionals.
In a statement, the country’s Health Minister, Dr. Irvin McIntyre, announced limited access in and out of the village of Grand Fond, to essential travel only such as medical emergencies, delivery of goods, and maintenance of public utilities.
Also, individuals in the village are encouraged to remain within the community and avoid any form of public gathering.
That’s because five of six travelers who arrived in Dominica on July six from the British Virgin Islands (BVI) have tested positive for the coronavirus.
In addition, swabbing and testing of primary and secondary contacts as well as random testing of residents of the community have been ongoing over the several days, the minister confirmed.
And on Friday, July 16, thirty-two (32) primary contacts were transferred to the Government Quarantine Facility in the northern town of Portsmouth.
Two of them returned positive results.
According to Minister McIntyre, the total number of active cases now stands at twelve (12).
Other measures being imposed on the community in a bid to contain the spread of the virus include restricted public gatherings in Grand Fond, with all Church Services, Sporting Activities, and other Social Activities suspended.
The Minister has indicated too that all Bars should be closed and the sale of alcohol suspended.
And while grocery Shops are being allowed to remain open, they are being warned to do so with strict adherence to health protocols, and are to close from 6:00 pm daily.
Meanwhile, at a national level, COVID-19 protocols are expected to be enforced during the country’s Budget presentation by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit next week.
House Speaker Joseph Isaac says most of the MPs have been vaccinated.
“We have invited a limited number of people to this 2021/22 Budget address and we are constrained by the total space available because we have to ensure that we have a three feet social distancing,” he said.
According to him, they will have the sanitization and the wearing of masks. “In regards to the Parliamentarians, we will ask them to take their seats because I think that over ninety percent of the Parliamentarians have taken the vaccine,” Isaac stated.