The

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

in Saint Barthélemy was a part of the ongoing global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was confirmed to have reached the French

overseas collectivity The French overseas collectivities (''collectivité d'outre-mer'' or ''COM'') are first-order administrative divisions of France, like the French regions, but have a semi-autonomous status. The COMs include some former French overseas colonies ...

Saint Barthélemy Saint Barthélemy (french: Saint-Barthélemy, ), officially the Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Barthélemy, is an overseas collectivity of France in the Caribbean. It is often abbreviated to St. Barth in French, and St. Barts in English ...

on 1 March 2020. The last positive case was on 31 March 2020. On 21 April, the last case recovered. Between 18 and 24 July, a new case was imported.

Background

On 12 January 2020, the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

(WHO) confirmed that a

novel coronavirus Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...

was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. The

case fatality ratio In epidemiology, case fatality rate (CFR) – or sometimes more accurately case-fatality risk – is the proportion of people diagnosed with a certain disease, who end up dying of it. Unlike a disease's mortality rate, the CFR does not take int ...

for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. Saint Barthélemy is a small island with a population of 9,793 people The island has a small hospital (Hôpital de Bruyn), however testing for COVID-19 and specialized health care has to be performed in Guadeloupe. As an overseas collectivity crises are handled by the

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

. The island can start testing locally in early May.

Timeline

March 2020

A resident of the French island of Saint Barthélemy was diagnosed with

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

on 1 March. His parents on the neighbouring island of Saint Martin also tested positive. Three cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were confirmed in the French island of St. Barthélemy (St. Barts) and French Saint Martin on 1 March. The cases were confirmed by the Institut Pasteur Laboratory of Guadeloupe which is conducting tests for the virus. The case involves a resident of St. Barthélemy and his visiting relatives. The person was confined at home in St. Barthélemy and under daily surveillance while his parents are isolated in the Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital in French Saint Martin. The couple had come from Paris, France, to visit their son, who lives in Saint-Barthélemy. Containment was put in place on 15 March with limitation of outings and prohibition of swimming. In all, 6 people were sick (3 men and 3 women). None of them developed any serious symptoms requiring hospitalization. On 24 March, the confinement orders have been strengthened: people may only leave their house for essential travel; markets are closed; gatherings are forbidden; non-essential businesses should close.

April 2020

On 16 April, after two weeks without new cases, swimming was again authorized on the beaches of the island. The last case on the island was declared cured on 21 April. As of 23 April, the

Pasteur Institute The Pasteur Institute (french: Institut Pasteur) is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who invented pasteurization and vaccines ...

in Guadeloupe have analysed 84 tests from Saint Barthélemy. Special monitoring is carried out at retirement homes ( EHPAD), however no cases have been reported for the island. On 24 April,

Air Caraïbes Air Caraïbes () is a French airline based in the French West Indies, with its headquarters in Les Abymes in Guadeloupe. The airline's main base of operations is at Pointe-à-Pitre International Airport in Guadeloupe, with a focus city at Mar ...

announced that flights between Saint Martin ( Grand Case-Espérance Airport not

Princess Juliana International Airport Princess Juliana International Airport is the main airport on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. The airport is located on the Dutch side of the island, in the country of Sint Maarten, close to the shore of Simpson Bay Lagoon. In 2015, the ...

), Saint Barthélemy, and Gaudeloupe will be resuming as of today. On 30 April, Bruno Magras, president of the collectivity, announce that all services, including schools, restaurants, bars, sport and cultural activities will reopen on 11 May.

May 2020

On 2 May, the Collectivity announced the arrival of local testing equipment, and will be able to test up to 16 tests per hour to prepare for deconfinement and a return of the virus. €2 million has been allocated for testing since April. On 9 May, an amendment of Michel Magras, Senator of Saint Barthélemy, to limit the quarantine to people who had tested positive, in order to resume tourism, failed to pass.

Preventive measures

* The airport and port are closed. Local flights have been allowed again since 24 April. * All restaurants and bars were closed, all schools were closed, and all gatherings were banned. Until 11 May when President Bruno Magras allowed their reopening. * All non-essential businesses are closed. * It is prohibited to leave the house except for essential journeys. * The restriction of visits to the beach and swimming have been repealed as of 16 April. * From 11 May onwards, schools, businesses, restaurants, bars will reopen as long as they abide to social distancing.

Statistics

Second wave

First wave

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:COVID-19 pandemic in Saint Barthélemy

coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identifie ...

Disease outbreaks in Saint Barthélemy