Crew Member on Flight Into Saint Lucia Tests Positive for Monkeypox

June 28, 2022 (St. Lucia Times) — A crew member on a flight into Saint Lucia tested positive for monkeypox, the island’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, has disclosed.

According to the CMO, the Epidemiology Department within the Ministry of Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs received an alert from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“The crew member did not disembark from the flight. As obtained with infectious diseases, the required contact tracing process is currently being undertaken by the contact tracing team within the Ministry of Health. All identified contacts of the case shall be contacted by the Ministry of Health and placed in quarantine and monitored over a twenty-one-day period,” Belmar-George explained.

In a statement on Monday, the CMO noted that with the significant increase in monkeypox cases globally in recent weeks, Saint Lucia had strengthened the capacity to manage individuals who are either suspect or confirmed cases.