COVID-19 cases worrying health officials in St Mary

Describing the increase in COVID-19 cases in St Mary as cause for concern, medical officer of health for the parish, Dr Tamara Henry, said that residents are seemingly ignoring the basic protocols including wearing of mask and handwashing.

Henry made the disclosure during the monthly sitting of the St Mary Municipal Corporation on Thursday, where she highlighted that only about one out of 10 persons spotted on the streets of Port Maria was observed wearing a face mask.

“We are concerned that persons are not wearing masks. We have 46 active cases across the parish,” she said.

The majority of cases in the parish are said to be between 25 and 44 years.

Henry charged that indiscipline among residents who refuse to observe the protocols was contributing to increased pressure on the health system.

“Bus operators and taxi drivers are still packing people into vehicles, so there is no semblance of the reality that we are living in,” she said.

She castigated some bar operators for dispensing with the COVID-19 protocols, pointing out that at many of the drinking spots there were no hand sanitisers and no one seen wearing masks even during large gatherings.

“Persons are operating business as usual. No mask, they have no handwashing in place, there is no sanitisation. So these are the challenges that we face,” Henry said.

Forty-four per cent of all the active cases in St Mary are in Port Maria.

In St Mary, 412 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed.