The Sandals vacation resort on the island of Grenada has been linked to an outbreak of 26 coronavirus cases on the island nation, forcing the government to institute a partial shutdown of the entire population, Washington Post reports.
Grenada, known to most Americans as the target of a US invasion during the Reagan Administration just three days after hundreds of Marines will killed in the bombing of the Beirut barracks in Lebanon in October 1983, had recorded just 45 confirmed cases since March. The population of the island is 111,000, with tourism being the biggest economic driver.
“[The cases] include guests and employees, as well as their contacts,” the Health Ministry statement said. “The discovery was made following proactive testing of employees and guests on Friday and Saturday, as part of the Ministry’s continuous testing of front-line staff in sectors directly related to tourism, travel and health.”