SAINT LUCIA CONFIRMS NEW VARIANT OF CONCERN OMICRON BA.2 LINEAGE

[19th April 2022] - The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs recently received new gene sequencing results from the Caribbean Public Health Agency CARPHA. The results indicate the presence of both the Omicron BA1 and BA2 Lineages. The Omicron Variant BA1 which has been circulating since February 2022 was confirmed in 11 of the samples sequenced. 2 cases of the Omicron BA2 Variant was confirmed. Of the 2 cases of Omicron BA2 diagnosed; 1 is a male national from Anse La Raye and 1 is a female non-national from Gros- Islet. The Omicron BA2 variant is responsible for the new waves noted in Barbados, Martinique and the developed countries.

The Omicron Variant remains the dominant variant circulating globally and has replaced all other circulating variants in most countries. Although there is reduced SARS-CoV-2 testing globally from the beginning of 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic continues with intense transmission and death particularly in high-risk populations and the unvaccinated.