A cluster of 26 positive COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases has been linked to the Sandals Grenada, according to the island’s Ministry of Health. The positive cases include guests and employees, as well as their close contacts. The discovery was made over the weekend as guests and employees were being tested as part of Grenada’s continuous testing of frontline staff in sectors directly related to tourism, travel and health.
The government of Grenada “has deployed all efforts, including personnel and resources” to address the “grave threat to public health, safety, order and the maintenance of medical and other suppliers and services.” According to The New Today in Grenada, the resort was ordered to evacuate all guests in what it deems as "the country’s worst COVID-19 crisis since March." the all-Inclusive hotel has been asked to move their guests off the island as quickly as possible and to divert all other expected arrivals to hotels in other countries.
The entire Sandals resort is undergoing a screening and assessment while households related to the confirmed cases have been placed in quarantine. Contact tracers, according to the Ministry of Health, are actively working to source other potentially exposed people. The health minister, according to The New Today, said an investigation is taking place to determine why, when and how the virus was able to spread at the hotel.
A further tightening of measures related to activities and daily life in order to protect public health and safety can be expected, the statement says. To that end, the public is being advised to limit all social gatherings, while permission previously granted to organizations for upcoming events will be under review. The government also continues to mandate wearing masks, practicing good hygiene and maintaining a physical distance of at least six feet from others.
According to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, Grenada has had 69 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and zero deaths.
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