 The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs on Wednesday held a press briefing providing the nation with an update on St. Lucia's COVID-19 situation. The country has recorded an increase in COVID-19 cases and is currently experiencing its fourth wave. The increase in cases has peaked concern as to St. Lucia's ability to effectively manage this fourth wave. Medical Director of the Respiratory Hospital, Dr. Alicia Eugene Ford, provided insight into the current standing of the island's primary COVID-19 care facility. The medical director indicated that the Respiratory Hospital has a bed capacity of 123, 15 of which are in the intensive care unit ICU. The ICU manages critical and severe COVID-19 cases. The majority of the cases come in, they come in with comorbidities. So in addition to the oxygen therapy that we give them, the antibiotic therapy, the chest or lung rehabilitation, we have to treat them for the other comorbidities, whether it be hypertension, diabetes, and all other complications, sickle cell disease, and cancer, etc. So we have to treat them from the other illnesses as well. Dr. Eugene Ford noted that from February 2021 to date, the hospital has recorded 1,460 admissions, 20 of which were fully vaccinated. As of September 8, 2021, after a thorough verification process, the deaths of two fully vaccinated individuals have been recorded. These individuals suffered from underlying conditions. The management of the Respiratory Hospital has adopted new protocols to improve patient care and comfort. This includes a new visitation policy. We would allow these individuals, their family member, their husband or their partner to come in and see the baby and mummy. We also have persons who are critical or we know they actually have a terminal illness. We would allow these individuals to come in and see their family members, which is different from what happened in the first few weeks. We have a drop-off service that we've started where we allow persons to drop off items for their family members who have been admitted. We allow for the logging and the verification of these items and sanitation. So staff members are assigned to take these items and bring them to the different wards. Dr. Eugene Ford encouraged the family members utilizing the drop-off service at the hospital to avoid bulky unnecessary items. Other measures enacted by the Respiratory Hospital include bolstering the staff contingent, improved communication systems, viewing of the body of deceased patients at the Respiratory Hospital's morgue and outpatient clinics.