ST. GEORGE’S, 4 NOV. 2020: GIS: A 68-year-old female Grenadian national, who arrived from the United Kingdom via British Airways on November 1st, is Grenada’s 30^th laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19.

The individual who is asymptomatic, and all other passengers who were on that flight, have been in quarantine since arrival, as per the protocols of the State.

Currently, Grenada has three (3) active cases of COVID-19, and all have been caught at the borders or whilst in post-travel quarantine. Although the effectiveness of the protocols has been encouraging, the Ministry of Health and Social Security continues to urge everyone to exercise caution in daily activities, including practicing proper hygiene, physical distancing of at least six feet, and wearing masks while in public places.

Many countries are now in the throes of another wave of the deadly COVID-19 virus, and many are undergoing or contemplating another lockdown period, or have at least tightened restrictions, including some of our neighbouring Caribbean Islands. 

Grenada is able to avoid this for now, thanks to the collective efforts of the entire nation. It is because of the collaboration among all the sectors and the general population that Grenada is still classified as a “very low risk” country by the major world health agencies.  

As heartening as this news may be, it is not meant to create in us, a sense of security that will lead to our peril. Instead, it should propel us to go further, to galvanize our energies toward the continued suppression of COVID-19. 

Our borders are our first line of defence. Our screening and testing procedures and ability to effectively quarantine are also very critical links in that chain, but the most crucial element is our capacity to work together to defeat our common threat—COVID-19.