Grenada’s Social Development Minister, Delma Thomas says she has tested positive for COVID-19.
Writing on her Facebook page, Thomas said “after working in the front line at mostly all popup clinics and visiting the hospital and not getting COVID-19, I have just tested positive for the virus”.
The minister who is an asthmatic and is fully vaccinated, said her symptoms are a slight sore throat and stuffy nose. She added that she contracted the virus from her husband, a police officer, who was diagnosed with the virus a few days earlier.
Thomas told friends and followers on her Facebook page that COVID-19 is real and reminded them to wear their mask, wash their hands, and follow all the protocols, because it doesn’t discriminate.
The minister, who also has responsibility for hospital services, is the first government minister to disclose that she has tested positive for the virus.
Grenada has recorded 8, 601 positive cases of the virus and 201 deaths since March 2020 and health authorities say there are 2,286 active cases as a result of the Omicron variant of the virus that sparked a second wave during the just-ended Christmas Season.
Meanwhile, health authorities say several people under the age of 18 have been diagnosed with the virus.
“What I can tell you, is that of the active persons we currently have 11.5 per cent of the persons are under the age of 18, and that is usually the school-age,” said Dr. Myanna Charles, the Senior Medical Officer.
The authorities have noted that less than 10 per cent of students are vaccinated despite the country offering vaccination for students who have reached the age of 12.
“Our data shows that almost 1,600 students have been vaccinated against COVID-19,” Dr. Charles said, urging parents to ensure that their children are vaccinated.
For the past two years, students have not been able to attend face to face classes experiencing instead a blended approach of online and in-person classes.
/CMC
