18 November 2022
The St Helena Health Services Directorate would like to inform the public that there were three (3) positive cases of COVID-19 reported within the community during the period Friday, 11, to Thursday, 17 November 2022. One of which was a positive self-test reported retrospectively.
A total of 1806 positive cases have been identified since the lifting of quarantine on Monday 8 August 2022.
The public are advised, if you have recently self-tested and were or are currently positive with COVID-19, you are asked to please call the COVID Helpline via tel: 25888 to report your result, if you haven’t already done so. This is so that the COVID-19 statistics as well as your health record can be updated. When calling you will therefore be asked for your name, date of birth, and the date you tested positive.
The public are advised to continue to practise good hand and respiratory hygiene during their daily routines. Globally it has been recognised that COVID-19 will not yet be completely eradicated and will continue to circulate for years to come.
In the last four weeks, there has been an average of two positive cases of COVID-19 recorded each week. In total, 1806 people have recorded positive results. However, it is known that as much as half of those who become infected with COVID-19 do not show any symptoms, and are therefore unlikely to test for infection. It is therefore likely that the number of persons within the community that have been infected with COVID-19 is much higher.
Given the high rate of previous infection and very low rate of ongoing infection, the weekly statistics update will be no longer be issued.
However, like other infectious illnesses, COVID-19 infections can be expected to be observed in waves in the future. If there is a need to reinstate the weekly statistics update, such as a significant increase of cases being reported or a known significant wave of COVID-19 being present on the Island, then it will recommence.
Nonetheless, the public are encouraged to monitor their health for signs of possible COVID-19 infection, test where appropriate and report any positive results to the Heath Services Directorate.
SHG
18 November 2022