Roughly 2,000 people were staying in the 20 shelters the government had opened, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said in a press conference.
Islands that have said they would accept evacuees include St.
we will come through this stronger than ever," Gonsalves said.
Authorities said those staying in shelters would be tested for COVID-19, and that anyone who tests positive would be taken to an isolation center.
"They know who doesn't have transportation because all of this has been canvassed before," she said, adding that those who board the cruise ship would not be taken elsewhere but would remain there for an unspecified period of time.John Renton, a school principal who was in charge of one shelter, said in a phone interview that they had plenty of masks and other personal protective equipment but needed more cots."We're over capacity," he responded, noting that the shelter could hold 75 people and was already filled up.
Meanwhile, the government warned of water shortages amid the pandemic given that people were stocking up after the alert was issued Wednesday following days of seismic activity around La Soufriere."Things are escalating pretty quickly," she said of the volcanic activity, adding that it was impossible to provide an exact forecast of what might happen in the next hours or days.