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CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC — St. Lucia Tuesday extended its travel restrictions on non-nationals from China to include Hong Kong, The Republic of Korea and Singapore as the island moved to prevent any case of the deadly novel coronavirus (COVID-19) being recorded in the country.
The Department of Health and Wellness said that in addition to the travel restrictions on non-nationals with a travel history within the last 14 days from mainland China, whether in- transit or originating, the ban has been extended to the other Asian countries where deaths and infections have been reported in recent days.
“The Department of Health and Wellness of St. Lucia has noted an escalation in the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 cases internationally as well as the spread to twenty nine countries outside of China,” it said.
The authorities said that any national returning to St. Lucia with a travel history to any of the countries where the virus has been detected will be quarantined for 14 days and that it discouraging “all non-essential travel” to those places.
The St. Lucia government said that it wanted to commend the Chinese authorities in their efforts to manage and contain the outbreak and will continue working to strengthen the local capacities against this global threat.
No Caribbean island has reported any infection caused by the virus and at their summit in Barbados last week, Caribbean Community (CARICOM leaders said they had recognised the risk of the virus to the region but are also satisfied that the current risk of transmission is low.
