Ministry of Health Implements Measures to Contain Chickenpox Outbreak on Nevis
The Ministry of Health on Nevis has implemented measures to contain an outbreak of chickenpox on the island following the confirmation of 11 cases.
Management of the Alexandra Hospital issued a notice on Monday, October 26, announcing the immediate temporary suspension of visits to the institution and the Flamboyant Nursing Home until Sunday, November 1, in the first instance.
“This precautionary measure follows the identification of chickenpox cases at the hospital and is intended to help prevent further spread of the infection. The suspension will be reviewed based on advice from the hospital’s Infection, Prevention and Control Team. The public will be advised of any extension or the resumption of normal visitation.
“Members of the public who are experiencing symptoms of chickenpox or suspect that they may have chickenpox are asked to call ahead before visiting any healthcare facility, including the hospital,” the notice stated.
During his monthly press conference on Tuesday, October 27, Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Mark Brantley, provided an update on the situation, noting that although the number of confirmed cases remains relatively low, the Ministry has responded swiftly to limit further transmission.
“We’ve had 11 confirmed cases. The first case was detected on October 24. There are no suspected cases under investigation. Should the public be concerned about an outbreak, yes. It is considered an outbreak and not a cluster as we already have 10 cases and that is the threshold that is set by PAHO. We have 11 cases so we definitely have an outbreak.
“No cases have been reported in schools or daycare centres,” he said.
