Officials in St. Vincent said Thursday that they are extremely concerned about a COVID-19 eruption in light of the lack of water and that more positive cases are being reported as thousands of evacuees flee the erupting volcano crowd in shelters and private homes.
About a dozen cases have been reported in recent days, with at least five evacuees staying in two homes, and one shelter testing positive, exposing at least 20 people to the virus, says Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache, Chief Medical Officer of the Caribbean Island. .
LA SOUFRIERE VOLCANO, SAINT VINCENT – 8 APRIL 2021: Maxar satellite photos of the Caribbean island of St Vincent and the continuous eruption of the volcano La Soufriere. Please use: satellite image (c) 2021 Maxar Technologies.
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Keizer-Beache said officials were preparing to conduct massive tests as part of contact detection, a complex undertaking because between 16,000 and 20,000 people were evacuated before La Soufriere’s explosive eruptions began Friday. She also encouraged people to keep wearing masks and asked them to cooperate, noting that some who arrive at shelters do not want to test, which is voluntary.
“Let’s work together to prevent a second disaster,” she told a news conference by local station NBC Radio.
Complicating efforts to combat COVID-19 is the lack of water in some communities given the heavy asphalt, with people walking with buckets and jugs in hand or driving to taps while forming long queues.
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Among the times, Suzanne Thomas, a 46-year-old saleswoman from South Union, was a community east of St. Louis. Vincent who has been hit by water shortages since Saturday. She welcomed nine evacuees into her home who had huddled together and only slept on rugs and blankets.
“It’s really rough. We have to use one can of water to shower, brush our teeth and flush the toilet,” she laughed when she added, “Water saving.”
Others, such as 17-year-old Kevin Sam, said they had not had water at all since Saturday: “I’m glad these standpipes are available because I do not know what we would have done. It’s not easy to deal with. a half bucket to bathe. ‘
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Meanwhile, there was no stock or little at some government shelters.
Lisa May, 36, said she and her three children slept on the floor in a shelter in Kingstown’s capital, hoping they would soon have at least one mattress to share: “Any help we get, we are (grateful). “
More than 4,000 people live in 89 government shelters. Meanwhile, the government has so far registered more than 6,000 evacuees in private homes, a number that continues to grow, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said.
He said he was concerned about an increase in COVID-19 cases in certain areas as the water supply is or a lack of water.
A woman and a girl walk with protective head coverings walking in a street covered with volcanic ash a day after the volcano La Soufriere erupted, in Kingstown, on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Maarten. Vincent, on Saturday 10 April 2021. (AP Photo / Lucanus Ollivierre)
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“If we are not careful, we will have a peak that could create a real danger, in addition to what we have with the volcano,” he said. “Washing your hands when you do not have much water is problematic.”
Garth Saunders, director of the utility industry in St. Vincent, said crew members are still cleaning up the water and sewer system on the island and expect water to reach more communities later Thursday, adding that the asphalt was very heavy. Neighboring islands and organizations also have water to St. Vincent sent, where officials distributed water bottles and sent water trucks.
Long queues formed at those trucks and money transfer companies, and some stood for hours to pick up cash from loved ones.
“I’m here by 4:30 this morning,” said Joseph King, a 67-year-old plumber, adding that he was tired and hungry.
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La Soufriere is expected to continue erupting for days or even weeks, with a scientific team expected on Thursday to estimate the amount of gases expelled by the volcano and collect samples of pyroclastic flow material. The analysis will tell scientists how the volcano behaves and help them guess what it is likely to do in the future, said Richard Robertson, who leads the team for the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center.
The volcano had a minor eruption in December, before which it erupted in 1979. A previous eruption in 1902 killed about 1,600 people.