On Tuesday March 17, 2020 the Ministry of Health was informed that the Prime Minister Honourable Allen Chastanet was experiencing a mild cough following recent travel history to Miami for medical attention and in an abundance of caution he had opted to place himself into voluntary quarantine. He contacted the Chief Medical Officer and a medical team was dispatched to assess the Prime Minister. A sample was taken for testing which included testing for COVID-19.

The sample was sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency. The result was received late on the same day, March 17, 2020 and it is negative for COVID-19. The Honourable Prime Minister has been informed of his results. He is in stable condition and good spirits.

Prior to receiving the results, the Ministry of Health had commenced the routine process of contact tracing.  Some of the close Prime Minister’s contacts also voluntarily placed themselves into quarantine as a precaution, while we awaited the results.

Along with the result for the Honourable Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health also received other results for patients in isolation and they are all negative. We shall provide a comprehensive update in a statement to the media which shall be released later today by the Chief Medical Officer.

For more information please contact the Office of the Chief Medical Officer or the Epidemiology Unit, at 468-5309/468-5317 respectively.