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- Five COVID-19 related deaths
- 11 new COVID-19 cases
- MOH mea culpa
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By Caribbean News Global contributor
CASTRIES, St Lucia, (CNG Health) – Philip J. Pierre, leader of the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) on Thursday, received his first dose of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine. Pierre and opposition parliamentarians took the jab at the parliament building in Castries.
“As I have promised before, I will take the vaccine after the frontline workers and first responders have been vaccinated,” Pierre affirmed, while he acknowledged the arrival of 25,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, a gift from the Republic of India, and again, “thanked the governments of Barbados and Dominica for coming to Saint Lucia’s rescue.”
In keeping with the continued practice of behavioural changes to minimize the spread of COVID-19, Pierre shared a few words on Facebook:
“As promised, [today] March 4, I received my first dose of the Oxford Astrazeneca vaccine after our front-line workers. I would like to encourage the people of Saint Lucia to get vaccinated when the opportunity is offered. The Saint Lucia Labour Party cares about the health of our country. Let’s get vaccinated!”
Five COVID-19 related deaths, 11 new cases
Meanwhile, the minister for health, Mary Isaac, is radio jumping in an attempt to retract her comment that “Saint Lucia may have to consider a permanent ban on alcohol,” the MOH reported five COVID-19 related deaths, 11 new cases and an admission.
MOH mea culpa
“In the March 3, 2021, press release, it was reported that Saint Lucia recorded one COVID-19 related death bringing the total number of deaths to 38. The ministry of health notes an error in the press release.”
“Rather, as of March 3, 2021, Saint Lucia was actually at 38 COVID-19 related deaths. [Today] March 4, the ministry of health also reports five COVID-19 related deaths bringing the total number of deaths in the country to date to 43.”
The MOH reporting continued: “The new cases bring the total number of cases diagnosed in the country to date to 3814. The recovery of 218 individuals bring the total
number of active cases in the country to date to 324. Presently, two of the active cases are requiring critical care at the Respiratory Hospital.”
Nevertheless, minister Isaac incessant imprint of uncertainty stated: “The reason why our figures shot-up so much, we all know it’s because of that Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) march, October 4, 2020” the minister asserted.
“There is no other excuse for the spike. So for every person that was infected, you have about 8 to 12 persons coming out of that. That is where the problem arose,” she attempted to explain. “Also, we cannot account for any other event of that magnitude that took place at that time, [October 2020] minister Isaac said.
Utilizing strategic guidance with knowledge of the political mine-field, Pierre cautioned at the Rally, October, 2020.
“This United Workers Party (UWP) will do anything to stay in political power, so I’m warning you, that next week you may hear something new about COVID-19 because we held our march this afternoon,” Pierre explained. “Citizens defied a coordinated scare-mongering blitz in parliament and on social and conventional media by the government, UWP operatives and trolls, who fell short of wishing that the public activity would cause a catastrophic COVID-19 spread. However, thousands turned out to register their dissatisfaction against the scary direction the country is taking towards a rogue government,” he said.
Insidiously, health minister Isaac’s mind game continues [March 2021]: “The spike from the march [October 2020] was still ongoing, then you got the little Christmas spike.”
It is convincing why COVID-19 mismanagement worries Saint Lucia’s opposition leader, with a government that is masking COVID-19 response with political optics.
