The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, says although St. Vincent and the Grenadines has recorded no case of this disease, surveillance at ALL Points of Entry and health facilities will be heightened.
In a release, the Ministry says persons should ensure that steps are taken to avoid contracting the novel coronavirus by:
- Washing their hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, Cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow if there is no tissue, to Avoid close contact with people who have flu-like symptoms as well as thoroughly cook meat and eggs before consumption.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment has increased preparatory work, following a meeting held by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on Thursday to update Member States on the coronavirus.
This meeting is subsequent to a two-day meeting convened by the World Health Organization (WHO)on January 22nd and 23rd. To date, the WHO has not declared the coronavirus epidemic in Wuhan, China, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
According to the WHO, 581 cases have been recorded, of these, 571 were from China with 17 deaths reported. Since the last release, cases have been reported internationally in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Republic of Korea and the United States of America.
On  Friday January 24th, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment convened a meeting of the National Public Health Surveillance Committee, to discuss preparatory measures to be able to detect, respond and contain the spread of any cases should they be detected in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
