COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Barthélemy explained

COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Barthélemy
Map1:File:Saint-Barthélemy collectivity location map.svg
Disease:COVID-19
Virus Strain:SARS-CoV-2
Location:Saint Barthélemy
Arrival Date:1 March 2020
Recovery Cases:5,472[1]
Website:guadeloupe.ars.sante.fr

The COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Barthélemy was a part of the ongoing global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was confirmed to have reached the French overseas collectivity of Saint Barthélemy on 1 March 2020. The last positive case was on 31 March 2020.[2] On 21 April, the last case recovered. Between 18 and 24 July, a new case was imported.[3]

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.[4] [5]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[6] [7] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[8] [6]

Saint Barthélemy is a small island with a population of 9,793 people[9] The island has a small hospital (Hôpital de Bruyn), however testing for COVID-19 and specialized health care has to be performed in Guadeloupe.[10] [11] As an overseas collectivity crises are handled by the Prefect. The island can start testing locally in early May.

Timeline

March 2020

A resident of the French island of Saint Barthélemy was diagnosed with COVID-19 on 1 March. His parents on the neighbouring island of Saint Martin also tested positive.[12]

Three cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed in the French island of St. Barthélemy (St. Barts) and French Saint Martin on 1 March. The cases were confirmed by the Institut Pasteur Laboratory of Guadeloupe which is conducting tests for the virus. The case involves a resident of St. Barthélemy and his visiting relatives. The person was confined at home in St. Barthélemy and under daily surveillance while his parents are isolated in the Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital in French Saint Martin. The couple had come from Paris, France, to visit their son, who lives in Saint-Barthélemy.[13]

On 24 March, the confinement orders have been strengthened: people may only leave their house for essential travel; markets are closed; gatherings are forbidden; non-essential businesses should close.[14]

April 2020

On 16 April, after two weeks without new cases, swimming was again authorized on the beaches of the island.[15]

The last case on the island was declared cured on 21 April.[16]

As of 23 April, the Pasteur Institute in Guadeloupe have analysed 84 tests from Saint Barthélemy. Special monitoring is carried out at retirement homes (EHPAD), however no cases have been reported for the island.[17]

On 24 April, Air Caraïbes announced that flights between Saint Martin (Grand Case-Espérance Airport not Princess Juliana International Airport), Saint Barthélemy, and Gaudeloupe will be resuming as of today.[18]

On 30 April, Bruno Magras, president of the collectivity, announce that all services, including schools, restaurants, bars, sport and cultural activities will reopen on 11 May.[19]

May 2020

On 2 May, the Collectivity announced the arrival of local testing equipment, and will be able to test up to 16 tests per hour to prepare for deconfinement and a return of the virus. €2 million has been allocated for testing since April.[20]

On 9 May, an amendment of Michel Magras, Senator of Saint Barthélemy, to limit the quarantine to people who had tested positive, in order to resume tourism, failed to pass.[21]

Preventive measures

Statistics

First wave

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer. 2023-04-25.
  2. News: Coronavirus : 21 cas confirmés à Saint-Martin, 3 de plus en 24 heures. fr. Guadeloupe la 1ère. 23 April 2020.
  3. News: Three new COVID-19 cases on French side, one in St. Barths . The Daily Herald.sx. 26 July 2020.
  4. Web site: Novel Coronavirus Information Center . Elsevier . Elsevier Connect. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130171622/https://www.elsevier.com/connect/coronavirus-information-center. 30 January 2020. 15 March 2020.
  5. Reynolds . Matt . What is coronavirus and how close is it to becoming a pandemic? . 4 March 2020 . Wired UK. 5 March 2020 . 1357-0978. https://web.archive.org/web/20200305104806/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/china-coronavirus. 5 March 2020. live.
  6. Web site: Crunching the numbers for coronavirus . Imperial News. 13 March 2020 . 15 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200319084913/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/196137/crunching-numbers-coronavirus/. 19 March 2020. live.
  7. Web site: High consequence infectious diseases (HCID); Guidance and information about high consequence infectious diseases and their management in England . GOV.UK . en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200303051938/https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-consequence-infectious-diseases-hcid. 3 March 2020. 17 March 2020.
  8. Web site: World Federation Of Societies of Anaesthesiologists – Coronavirus . www.wfsahq.org. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200312233527/https://www.wfsahq.org/resources/coronavirus. 12 March 2020. 15 March 2020.
  9. Web site: Populations légales des collectivités d'outre-mer en 2016. 23 April 2020. fr. Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques.
  10. Book: Nash, KC . St Barts Travel Adventures . Hunter Publishing, Inc . 978-1-58843-704-4 . 2008 . 14.
  11. Web site: The World Fact Book . Introduction . 8 January 2011 . CIA Fact Book.
  12. Web site: Coronavirus : premiers cas confirmés en Outre-mer, à Saint-Martin et Saint-Barth. Polynésie la 1ère. March 2020 . fr-FR. 2020-03-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20200302172416/https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/polynesie/coronavirus-premiers-cas-confirmes-outre-mer-saint-martin-saint-barth-805865.html. 2 March 2020. live.
  13. Web site: Breaking News: Three cases of coronavirus confirmed in St. Barthélemy, Saint Martin . The Daily Observer . 1 March 2020 . 20 March 2020.
  14. News: French PM revises confinement measures effective March 24 . The Daily Herald.sx. 22 April 2020.
  15. Web site: LA BAIGNADE ET LES ENGINS BRUYANTS DE NOUVEAU AUTORISÉS À COMPTER DE DEMAIN . Le journal de Saint-Barth . 15 April 2020 . 21 April 2020.
  16. Web site: Point de situation au 21 avril 2020 . Bulletin de l'ARS . 21 April 2020 . 2 September 2020 . 13 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200913031810/http://www.saint-barth-saint-martin.gouv.fr/content/download/7018/40001/file/CP%20SBH%20SXM-48.pdf . dead .
  17. News: A Saint-Barth, 84 patients ont été dépistés depuis le 28 février. fr. Journal de Saint Barth. 25 April 2020.
  18. News: Air Caraïbes resuming flights to Guadeloupe as of April 24. The Daily Herald.sx. 24 April 2020.
  19. News: Déconfinement (quasi)total de Saint-Barth le 11 mai : demande acceptée par l'Elysée. Le Journal de Saint-Barth. fr. 2 May 2020.
  20. News: PCR, drive, test : Saint-Barthélemy se prépare au déconfinement quasi-total le 11 mai. 3 May 2020. Outre-mers 360. fr.
  21. News: Coronavirus: le Parlement adopte la prolongation de l'état d'urgence sanitaire jusqu'au 10 juillet. fr. 9 May 2020. Outre-mer la 1ère.
  22. News: Coronavirus: Spain and France announce sweeping restrictions. BBC News. 15 March 2020. 15 March 2020.
  23. News: Saint-Barthélémy : un déconfinement "total" est annoncé pour le 11 mai. Gaudeloupe la 1ère. 2 May 2020. fr.