St. Maarten: CPS visits 242 households, six of nine with symptoms consented to be tested

The Health Ministry’s Collective Prevention Services (CPS) visited a total of 242 households representing 632 persons during its community outreach programme over the past days.

Of those reached, a total of nine persons had flu-like signs and symptoms, but only six consented to be tested. Prime Minister and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Chairperson Silveria Jacobs expressed hope on Monday evening that the remaining three persons would take the test to know their status.

Jacobs presented the preliminary figures as she awaited the formal report from CPS on the outreach. CPS began the outreach in the Sucker Garden area on April 14. The team also visited Cay Bay. Cay Hill was visited on Saturday, April 18.

During the outreach, a team of trained medical professionals and community persons went door to door to ascertain whether households had persons showing symptoms of COVID-19 as they ramp up efforts to test more persons in the community. The initiative was done in several languages.

Jacobs stressed that all cost related to the testing is being borne by government and no one has to fear any negative repercussions from undergoing testing. She said visiting persons in communities and doing more testing is the reason for the continued state of emergency in the country.

The results of the six persons’ tests are pending.

The Daily Herald.