COVID-19 pandemic in Grenada
The COVID-19 pandemic in Grenada is part of the ongoing global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019, which was confirmed to have reached Grenada on March 22, 2020. Despite lockdowns and social distancing protocols, it appeared to have reached the level of community spread within one month. However, cases continued to decline through May, and by June 18, the Ministry of Health declared zero active cases—indicating Grenada's efforts were successful in ridding the country of the virus.
Background
On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization 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.The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Like most countries, Grenada had increased screening at the airport in early February and begun sending test samples to CARPHA. At 12am on March 23, the airport was closed to commercial passenger traffic indefinitely, and on June 28 it was announced to remain closed until at least the end of July.
Timeline
March 2020
- March 22—The country's first case was announced, a 50-year-old female patient who returned from the United Kingdom on March 16 and subsequently became sick on March 17, and was officially diagnosed on March 21. At 11:59pm, the airport was shut-down, indefinitely.
- March 25—Six more cases announced, all from Patient Zero's household. The government institutes policy of restricted movement and nightly curfew.
- March 28—Two more cases announced, one sat nearby Patient Zero on the March 16 flight; another had relatives visiting from New York City, arrived March 17. The one who sat near Patient Zero on the March 16 flight was a 50-year-old male who became symptomatic on March 26, was tested in Grenada and told to self-quarantine while awaiting the results. Instead, he fled with his family via an Air Canada flight en route back to the UK before the test results were returned.
- March 29—Government announces 24-hour curfew for one week
April 2020
- April 1— One new case announced—a 58-year-old male who arrived on a flight from New York City on March 19
- April 3— Two new cases announced. One was a 73-year-old male whose spouse had been diagnosed and announced on March 28 ; the other patient was a taxi driver who had interacted with a previously diagnosed patient
- April 6— Government renews curfew/lockdown for another two weeks. Tests are now being done at St. George's University.
- April 10— Two cases announced, all from households of previous cases.
- April 18— Government extended the 24-hour curfew for an additional week, although with increased exceptions during designated "shopping" days and expectation of relaxing the curfew after this final curfew period.
- April 20— Case #15: First potential case of community spread announced by Minister Nickolas Steele, in which an individual had been admitted to the General Hospital and tested positive on the rapid test. The 45 year-old-man initially tested negative via the rapid test, then positive in a subsequent test later on. Several samples were then tested via PCR on island and via CARPHA, the results of which were indeed positive.
- April 25— Three new cases were announced, two from the workplace of Case #15 and one unrelated. The two workers were found through contact-tracing. The third case was a 50-year-old female that had arrived on-island on March 16, subsequently self-quarantined, and then requested a test on her own initiative, despite not exhibiting any symptoms. This 18th case has raised suspicion as to whether it was actually import-related or whether she acquired it in Grenada. Two of her roommates also tested positive for antibodies, suggesting they had the virus previously and since recovered. These additional cases were not added to the official case tally.
- April 28— One new case announced ; additionally, 3 new cases recovered.
- April 29— 20th case announced, along with 3 recoveries of previous cases. This marks five workers testing positive from the Caribbean Agro flour factory in Tempe, St. George's.
May 2020
- May 2— Case #21 announced, another one from the Tempe factory, this time a male in his early 20s—the youngest patient yet, and one who was asymptomatic and initially tested negative.
- May 10— with no additional cases, government announced a relaxation of the curfew and semi-regular business operations starting Monday, May 11.
- May 15— Grenada recorded its 22nd positive Covid-19 patient - an asymptomatic 8-year-old female, also related to case #15.
- May 25— A returned cruise-ship worker who had been quarantined upon repatriation on May 24 tested positive. Since the case had been quarantined upon arrival, it did not change current reopening efforts, but Minister Steele warned that cases like this will continue as the country opens up, so the main focus is on identifying and containing it each time.
June 2020
- June 17— Eight repatriated cruise ship workers tested positive on the antibody test but not PCR. Nonetheless, as with May 25 case, the government appears unwilling to include positive repatriated cases in the country's official tally.
- June 18— With no new cases reported in June, those previously diagnosed continued to recover, eventually testing negative on two PCR tests, spaced one week apart. On June 18, the Ministry of Health declared there were no active cases remaining in Grenada, as indicated by their continued testing regime.
- June 28— It was announced that the airport will remain closed until at least the end of July.
Prevention
Emergency Powers
The government of Prime minister Keith Mitchell instituted a series of increasingly tightening social distancing and quarantine policies that eventually led to a full country lockdown. Prior to the island's first case, schools and public gatherings were banned and social distancing encouraged on March 14. It was known that at least three persons who later tested positive to Covid-19 elsewhere had traveled through Grenada. Following the first confirmed case on March 22, the airport was closed to commercial traffic and remained closed indefinitely.during the COVID-19 pandemic
On March 25, emergency powers were implemented to restrict movement and nightly curfews. Businesses unable to enforce social distancing were ordered to be closed. These were quickly revised into a full, 24-hour lockdown on March 30, where all citizens were to remain in their homes and all business were closed except essential services described in the act. Specific grocery days were permitted under control of the RGPF, and various changes were experimented with how to effectively handle shopping days. The first 24-hour period was to last one week, but following continued exposure of new cases, it was expanded for two additional weeks, then another week, and again for a fifth week. On April 18, Emergency Powers were officially extended an additional six months, solely as a precaution should new cases arise.
With no new cases in the first week of May, Prime Minister Keith Mitchell announced a relaxation of the 24-hour curfew rules, with pre-approved businesses allowed to open every day again, beginning May 11, albeit with continued maintenance of a curfew from 7pm to 5pm. Among other things, construction projects and landscaping could also restart, as could travel between the sister islands, although international borders would remain closed until early June. Nonetheless, the ban on public buses remained in effect, limiting access to those who owned private vehicles, and restaurants remained take-out only.
These easements continued into the week of May 25, with the reopening of retail stores and beautification shops, as well as public ferry service between Grenada and Carriacou. No date was given for opening the airport, but Minister Steele ensured the public that a two-week notice would precipitate the airport opening and that it would not happen until at least a "three month supply" of rapid tests had been acquired on island. Similarly, public buses were not yet allowed to recommence service, and negotiations with the bus association were frayed by government's refusal to allow a $0.50 price increase in return for the spatially-distanced, reduced passenger loads required .
As cases continued to decline throughout June, Emergency Powers were continued, but with incremental loosening. On June 16, the daily curfew was loosened from 5am to 9pm and in-dining restaurants were allowed, so long as they were approved by the Ministry of Health beforehand. On June 28, the curfew was again relaxed to 5am-11pm.
Testing and Tracing
As faster testing became available through the help of St. George's University and Venezuela, the government became increasingly confidant in very low community spread. While the PM has mentioned June as an anticipated full internal opening, the low spread of the disease has encouraged the RGPF to offer increasing exceptions to the lockdown rules. By April 18, government relayed their expectation to relax the 24-hour curfew period after April 27, since they had then tested 116 PCR and 82 "rapid" tests, with no new cases discovered. Indeed, they also announced that 7 of the infected persons had now recovered.However, this attitude of victory soon changed on April 20. At the start of the relaxed-curfew week, the RGPF made a morning press conference clarifying the businesses allowed to open and general protocols for the next week, which included opening parish boundaries for the first time in four weeks. Many people rightly treated this as the start of a reopening period. But at noon, Minister Nickolas Steele made an emergency announcement that a new patient had been admitted to the General Hospital on April 19, exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 and tested positive for the rapid test. After two days of waiting, the patient was confirmed positive via multiple PCR tests. Since the individual—as far as is known—had not traveled, nor been in contact with anyone who had traveled, nor been in contact with any positive cases, it appeared to be the first case of community spread, likely acquired from an undiagnosed, asymptomatic case. On April 25, the third such asymptomatic case was confirmed, along with two colleagues of Case #15. It was also announced that 175 PCR and 1000 rapid tests had been conducted to date, including 69 employees from the workplace of Case #15 and 57 tests in Carriacou and Petite Martinique. By April 29, it was announced that 1200 rapid tests and 206 PCR tests had been conducted, although the number of positive rapid tests was not released, as the official count is based solely on active cases confirmed via PCR.
By May 5, 309 PCR and 1472 Rapid tests had been conducted, which were then expanded for several rounds of testing of the factory in Tempe.
These tests came back negative, confirming that community spread had now abated. On May 12, the Ministry of Health reported they had conducted 412 PCR tests and 2007 rapid tests in total. On May 15, upon announcing the 22nd positive case, Ministry of Health recorded 2459 rapid tests conducted and 454 PCR. By May 25, contact-tracing investigations into Case #15 were said to be closed, with no further individuals having tested positive. It remains unclear, however, whether Case #15 was indeed a case of community spread or someone at the factory had acquired the virus through interactions on the port. The entire crew of at least one cargo vessel with whom Case #15 interacted with was tracked down and tested, but all were negative.