SIX French tourists holidaying in St Lucia have tested positive for the coronavirus, and all have been placed in isolation at various medical facilities.
This comes after MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu earlier this week slammed the town’s tour operators and accommodation establishments for welcoming a coronavirus-positive tourist.
Rumours began circulating last weekend after the boat jetty near the entrance to St Lucia was cordoned off and a lockdown implemented on one of the cruise boats.
On Monday morning, Simelane-Zulu made public mention of the rumours that two German tourists visiting St Lucia had tested positive for Covid-19, which was factually incorrect.
She also hit out at St Lucia hospitality entities for allowing the infected tourists access to the town and its amenities.
Speaking to the ZO, the St Lucia Ratepayers’ Association (RPA) said a group of six French tourists had arrived in St Lucia last Friday from Nelspruit, Mpumalanga where they had been tested after one of them displayed flu-like symptoms.
Despite being tested in Nelspruit, the group continued on to St Lucia and booked into an accommodation establishment.
‘On Saturday a member of the St Lucia community was contacted by a doctor who had tested a foreign tourist for the coronavirus a few days earlier in Nelspruit,’ said the RPA.
‘The doctor requested assistance in locating these tourists as one – not two – had tested positive.
‘Community structures were activated and the group was located on a cruise boat, which was placed on immediate lockdown.’
Health authorities were notified and the tourism MEC was contacted.
Some hours later, a Department of Health doctor arrived and the tourist who tested positive was taken to Manguzi Hospital for treatment and isolation.
The remaining five French tourists in the group were allowed to drive back to their accommodation and were ordered to remain in quarantine.
‘Fortunately, there were no other guests at this establishment,’ said the RPA.
‘The seven South African passengers on the boat were quarantined at their accommodation until their departure; they will then be monitored by the Department of Health.’
It has since been confirmed that the five remaining French tourists had tested positive for Covid-19 and were taken by ambulance to medical facilities for isolation and treatment on Tuesday evening.
Closed and sanitised
All premises in St Lucia visited by the tourists were immediately identified, closed and sanitised, and the tour boat and buildings were thoroughly sanitised by iSimangaliso’s cleaning contractors.
The RPA said that, from discussions with department representatives, it was clear that the measures taken were more than adequate.
‘We need to emphasise that, at that stage, there were no explicit instructions to tour operators and B&Bs to screen foreign tourists.
‘It should also be noted that tour operators had introduced increased sanitation measures and reduced boat capacity limits to deal with this threat.
‘It is unfortunate that no action was taken to secure these tourists in Mpumalanga after displaying symptoms of the virus and being tested’.
‘The St Lucia community supports any initiative that the government institutes to curb the spread of coronavirus, and protect the lives of South Africans and the economy of the country.’
The St Lucia RPA, meanwhile, said it would be disinfecting the town this weekend, using industrial equipment to spray streets and walls.
The RPA is also working closely with the SAPS to ensure the rules of the lockdown are not flouted.
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