 The national fight against COVID-19 is gaining ground. St. Lucia has registered significant progress in the vaccination drive, with 36,253 people now fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. 30,188 have received a full dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while 6,065 individuals have received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. This means that 20% of the population has been inoculated. National Immunization Manager in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, Tegla Jabatist, says whilst this seems far away from the desired 70% population immunity, it is a step closer to achieving the overall goal. This week, the ministry also reported a reduction in hospitalization rates, positivity rates and prevalence rates. There has been a steady decline in the rate of transmission with a present rate of 1.3. Health officials are however alleging that the public not let their guard down as the situation remains critical. Over the past weeks, we noted tendency towards a decrease in the reported cases. However, we should not become complacent. We note that there are still variants of concerns circulating in country, and as a result, the possibility of another spike exists if we become too relaxed. Therefore, we urge each and every one to continue adhering to the public health measures and get vaccinated. The Ministry of Health continues to note a higher percentage of hospitalizations and deaths in the unvaccinated. There has been an increase in severe cases, admissions and deaths from the southwestern zone of the country, which also corresponds to the areas of low vaccination uptake. In light of this, we encourage you to get vaccinated for the added protection from the COVID-19 virus. The benefits of the vaccine greatly outweigh the potential side effects associated with the vaccine. The possibility of serious complications for anyone who gets the virus should be a reason for getting the vaccine. Indeed, it is difficult to predict how COVID-19 will affect any individual, and so the Ministry of Health Wellness and Elderly Affairs stands behind its official recommendation that every citizen gets vaccinated for COVID-19. Over the past 19 months, we have reported 224 deaths. Each life loss was someone dear to one of us. A mother, father, sister, brother, friend, workmate, or someone whom we knew. COVID-19 is real. Ms Jabati stressed that COVID-19 vaccines combined with the public health recommendations provide the best protection from COVID-19.