COVID Cluster in Santa Cruz; First Case at Primary School

Tonight, residents of Santa Cruz Village are on edge after a cluster of twenty-one positive COVID-19 cases has been identified in their community.  According to a release from the Ministry of Health, the virus was first discovered in a staffer at the Santa Cruz Primary School on the third of June.  Health officials then proceeded to carry out mass testing in the village where an additional twenty positive cases were identified.  The ministry is now planning a community event in the village on June tenth to carry out a mass swabbing and vaccination drive.  News Five spoke via phone with the Chairman of Santa Cruz Village, Vincent Scott, about the preventative measures being taken.

On the Phone: Vincent Scott, Chairman, Santa Cruz Village

“Since Thursday the medical team from Dangriga was here doing some contact tracing. They found out that we have I think about three cases. They came back to do a follow up on Friday and then they discovered more cases. Now we are at this number.”

Vincent Scott

Isani Cayetano

“What measures, if any, have been taken in the village to try to either quarantine individuals who have tested positive, or to try to lock down Santa Cruz as it were?”

On the Phone: Vincent Scott, Chairman, Santa Cruz Village

“From since we got the message, me and the police officer, as long as the village council have been going from store to store, business to business and enforcing the measures. Make sure you have your wash hand basin, the social distance. Make sure that everybody, the stores, have the numbers on the ground. The six feet distance. Also we have the medical team from Dangriga. We are supporting the team from Dangriga. They also went around with us to supervise the people who are cleaning up the stores and different things nuh. So right now, at this point, we have the health team from Belmopan, also from Dangriga in the village. Today we are doing some swabbing, and some follow up nuh.”