CHANGES TO QUARANTINE AND COVID-19 TESTING
On Tuesday, 26 April 2022, Executive Council reviewed and agreed to amend the current quarantine arrangements. Changes were agreed by Executive Council as part of Phase 1 of a roadmap for St Helena to work toward a return to normality.
The quarantine period has been reduced from 10 days to 7 days for vaccinated arrivals to St Helena by air or sea travel with immediate effect.
Arrivals who are fully vaccinated will be required to quarantine for 7 days. Arrivals must provide a COVID-19 vaccination certificate showing they were fully vaccinated (as per the recommended dosage for the particular vaccine)
Any arrivals who have not been fully vaccinated will be required to complete a 10 day quarantine period
If vaccinated and unvaccinated persons quarantine together in the same location the quarantine period for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated persons will be 10 days.
St Helena no longer requires a negative PCR test result prior to travel to the Island. Please note that South African authorities require a negative PCR test result from persons who are not fully vaccinated when entering South Africa.
Air arrivals to St Helena:
Regardless of vaccination status, all arriving passengers will be processed, provided with a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) and given a quarantine information pack upon arrival to St Helena Airport.
‘Day 0’ test: Upon arrival to their quarantine accommodation, each passenger is required to undertake the provided LFT themselves. The results are to be photographed and sent electronically to COVID-19 Coordinator, Grace Richards, via email: Grace.richards@sainthelena.gov.sh. A member of the Health Services Quarantine team will also make telephone contact with all persons in home quarantine and will expect the test results to be provided verbally. This call will outline the requirements of quarantine and passengers will have the opportunity to ask/discuss any questions or concerns regarding their time in quarantine.
PCR testing to be released into the community will be done on the sixth or ninth day of quarantine (this is dependent on the quarantine period being undertaken). All persons will attend Bradleys for testing via their own transport or transport agreed prior to arrival at St Helena.
Should a person receive a positive test result during quarantine, they (or their group, if quarantining together) will continue to quarantine for an extended period until two consecutive negative test results are received from each person. The first test will be taken on day 5 of the quarantine extension and the second test taken on day 6.
The decision to reduce the number of quarantine days from 10 to 7 for fully vaccinated persons/groups has been based on scientific and professional advice as well as previous international experience. All COVID-19 SOPs will be followed.
#StHelena #ChangesToQuarantine #CovidTesting
Two positive test results identified in individuals in compulsory isolation
Key messages
Two recent arrivals, currently in compulsory isolation, have tested positive for COVID-19.
The individuals currently have mild symptoms.
There is minimal risk of community spread, with no known or suspected cases in the commu
nity.
The Response Level has been escalated to Level 2 ORANGE as a precautionary measure.
Members of the public should remain alert and continue to practise good cough and hand hygiene.
Anybody who develops a new persistent dry cough, a fever or experiences unexpected shortness of breath should go home, self-isolate and telephone Georgetown Hospital on 66252 for further advice.
On Tuesday 03 May two positive COVID-19 test results were returned following routine testing of new arrivals currently under compulsory isolation measures. As a consequence of the positive test results, the Ascension COVID-19 Response Level has been escalated to Level 2 ORANGE. This escalation is in line with the Response Level Protocol.
Under Level 2 ORANGE measures, public venues and facilities remain open. As it is expected that the introduction of COVID-19 into the wider community has not occurred, this escalation is a precautionary measure and serves to ensure that a higher level of alertness is observed by authorities on the island and the general public.
Members of the public should continue to practise good cough and hand hygiene, and be alert to the development of any potential COVID-19 symptoms.
When additional testing confirms negative results and the Senior Medical Officer is satisfied that there is no longer a COVID-19 presence on the island, the Response Level will return to Level 1 AMBER.
Further information regarding this matter will be made available to the public in the coming days.
As ever, anyone who develops a new persistent dry cough, a fever or experiences unexpected shortness of breath should go home, self-isolate and telephone Georgetown Hospital on 66252 for further advice.
Background
The individuals in question arrived at Ascension on Tuesday 03 May 2022 on a vessel from Canada.
The individuals currently have mild symptoms but are otherwise well. As they Authorities remain in contact with the ship’s crew and the positive cases will have their conditions monitored by medical staff.
Authorities remain in contact with the ship’s crew and the positive cases will have their conditions monitored by medical staff.
The staff at Georgetown Hospital remain in constant liaison with experts in the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to ensure that the individuals who tested positive receive appropriate support. Further testing will take place over the coming days to monitor their levels of infection, and to confirm whether any further transmission has taken place on board.
This is a scenario that AIG had planned and prepared for. Robust measures for effectively managing arrivals to Ascension have been in place throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These protocols have been developed in liaison with experts from the UKHSA and are designed to ensure that any person arriving at the island is kept separate from the general public until the Senior Medical Officer can be assured that they do not pose a risk of introducing COVID-19 into the community.
As a result, the individuals who tested positive have not had any contact with the wider public. Authorities are therefore confident that the virus has been effectively contained and so has not been spread to others in the community.
Further Information
Are members of the public at risk?
AIG has planned and prepared for this scenario, and robust protocols are in place to manage all arrivals to Ascension. These have been designed in liaison with experts in the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to ensure that the risk posed to the island by those arriving from affected areas is reduced to the lowest level possible.
The positive cases arrived by sea and have remained on board at all times, both before and since their positive results.
However, members of the public are encouraged to be on a heightened state of alert until the Response Level returns to Level 1 AMBER and to continue to practise good hand and cough hygiene.
When will the Response Level return to Level 1 AMBER?
The Response Level will be de-escalated once testing has determined that the individuals no longer pose a threat to the wider community. Further testing will be conducted over the coming days, and the Response Level may be reduced as a result of these tests.
Where and when were the cases identified?
The cases were identified on Tuesday 03 May 2022 in two individuals who arrived on an aggregate delivery vessel that day.
What about the other people on the vessel with them?
Whilst all other members of the crew returned a negative test result, as the positive crew members have aboard the same vessel during their journey here, further testing of all of the crew will take place in the coming days. In the meantime, the positive persons have been instructed to isolate away from others on board. Due to the positive results, nobody from the vessel has been cleared to land ashore.
