NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 19, 2021) – – The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Cabinet has convened an emergency meeting with health officials in the wake of 19 new positive cases of COVID-19 being recorded on Nevis within 24 hours.

“Nineteen new cases on the island of Nevis is extremely alarming. We have done well thus far but clearly now the virus is well and truly in Nevis and we can expect these numbers to continue to rise. We will continue to do our contact tracing but obviously this is a matter of very serious concern.

“We will be meeting in emergency session in the Cabinet along with our medical professionals to try and plot a way forward,” said Premier Hon. Mark Brantley, Senior Minister of Health in the NIA.

The Federal Ministry of Health revealed on August 18, 2021 that St. Kitts and Nevis had confirmed 34 new cases within 24 hours. The 19 new cases on Nevis bring the island’s total to 44. The total on St. Kitts stands at 698.

The Premier encouraged all persons to continue to practise the established non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 prevention measures such as wearing face masks in public, frequent sanitizing of hands and highly touched surfaces, and physical distancing.

He also reiterated the call for persons to get vaccinated against the virus and for an all of society approach in the fight against COVID-19.

“We urge our people to continue to take precautions and above all to get vaccinated. We have to be together in this, Opposition, government, church, State- all of us have to play our role if we are to beat COVID-19.

“It’s a sad day for Nevis but I hope that through prayer and through doing what is right and responsible that we can get through this together.”

Premier Brantley noted that the vaccination drive on Nevis will soon continue with the Pfizer vaccines which the United States government donated to St. Kitts and Nevis last week.