Sandals in Grenada forces a partial island lockdown after 26 covid-19 cases are linked to the resort

Before the weekend spike, the country had recorded a total of 45 confirmed cases since March

By Shannon McMahon
December 15 at 2:09 PM

A cluster of 26 new cases of the coronavirus on the Caribbean island of Grenada has been linked to a Sandals resort, Grenada’s Ministry of Health said in a statement Sunday. Sandals Grenada is closed to all new guests while officials test and contact trace resort guests and employees. Grenada officials moved on Monday to impose a partial lockdown amid the island’s new rise in cases.

Before the weekend spike of coronavirus cases, the nation had recorded a total of 45 confirmed cases since March. The island’s previous peak for a daily total was six cases, according to the World Health Organization.

The 26 positive cases linked to the resort “include guests and employees, as well as their contacts,” the Health Ministry statement said. “The discovery was made following proactive testing of employees and guests on Friday and Saturday, as part of the Ministry’s continuous testing of front-line staff in sectors directly related to tourism, travel and health.”

Acting chief medical officer Shawn Charles said in a news conference that they expect the case count to grow as they continue testing close contacts of the positive guests and employees.

Due to the new rise in cases, the government of Grenada also announced on Monday that it will now limit all gatherings to 10 people, require businesses to close by 10 p.m., and limit restaurants and bars to takeout only.

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