Health Minister Dr. Duane Sands says  that there has been a drastic decline in conch poisoning and gastrointestinal virus, while there was one confirmed case last week. 

The Minister stressed to reporters outside cabinet yesterday that  persons should take the necessary precautions in preparing raw conch cuisines.

The Minister says the cause of this outbreak  however is still unknown. 

“We do not have any conclusive nexus between what is happening at Malcolm Park and what is happening at with the bloom of the  vibrio. 

“So  while we pay attention to what has been happening, we do not believe at this time  that there is a connection between any of the excavation works in the harbour and what’s happening with the vibrio,” Dr. Sands said. 

With the gastro outbreak at Sandals Resort, the Minister said has dropped to just over 200 cases.

“The total number of cases has fallen off to about one or two maximum of any G.I symptoms, but no patients at all with the full syndrome.” 

“It’s important to know that a case is defined as having nausea, vomiting and diarrhea and if somebody comes in with nausea you wouldn’t know whether they just drank too much last night, or they ate something that didn’t agree with them and diarrhea would be the same thing. So there has been a dramatic reduction bringing it almost to the baseline,” Dr. Sands said.      

A  few weeks  nearly 100 staff and guests at the Sandals Resort were affected with the gastrointestinal virus.