As part of the St Helena Governments (SHG’s) preparedness arrangements, we are pleased to inform the public that we have enhanced our medical capabilities on the island, as a purely precautionary measure.
Three additional medical staff arrived on the island today, comprising an infection prevention and control specialist and two laboratory scientists. We are grateful to UK Health Security Agency(UKHSA) for their support in this respect.
Furthermore, two members of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) have also arrived to assist with logistics and planning.
We expect to receive additional medical consumables on the return of the Airlink flight from Ascension, scheduled for tomorrow. Similar supplies have already been delivered there.
As previously notified, a patient for whom a diagnosis of hantavirus is considered probable is currently on Tristan. To assist with their planning, preparation and response we are pleased to advise that a Royal Air Force (RAF) flight conducted an airdrop of essential equipment and personnel to Tristan this afternoon.
These responses demonstrate that the commitments made by the UK Government are more than just words. They are delivering real, tangible support across the island groups of the Territory as a whole.
The arrival of additional personnel and equipment on St Helena does not change the current position. It is not a cause for concern but a matter of reassurance. There are no symptomatic individuals on the island and no suspected cases. We still consider the risk to the wider community to be very low. As we have stated throughout, we continue to plan with an abundance of caution given the potential medical consequences, should a case be confirmed.
We reiterate the need to continue to follow the public health advice and rely on official sources of information.
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