More COVID-19 recoveries, deaths in CARICOM Member States

Several CARICOM Member States are recording more deaths from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

While some patients who were diagnosed with the virus have recovered and have been discharged from hospitals in some countries, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have recorded more deaths from the disease.

On Wednesday 1 April, Trinidad and Tobago authorities announced that there was another death in the country from COVID-1. The Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago said the person was an elderly man.

Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said Wednesday that five elderly citizens with pre-existing conditions died as a result of COVID-19. He reiterated his call for people to stay home, especially the 19,000 returning nationals who entered the country before the borders closed.

According to the country’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram, there were 89 positive cases of COVID-19 In Trinidad and Tobago. Three are in isolation. One person was discharged.

On Tuesday 31 March, Guyana announced that it had recorded its second death from the disease,  a young, male emergency medical technician who was one of two persons hospitalised in the Coronavirus Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

A day alter, the Minister of Public Health, the Hon. Volda Lawrence announced that there were now 19 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Guyana.

Guyana had confirmed its first imported case of COVID-19 in Georgetown on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.

Authorities in Jamaica announced that another person had died from the virus. According to the Ministry of Health, one of its recovering COVID-19 patients at the University Hospital of the West Indies died on Tuesday afternoon.

“Reports are that the patient was found unresponsive and was noted to have had a cardiac arrest. Resuscitation measures were unsuccessful,” the Ministry said in a news release.

The Jamaica Information Service (JIS) said that there are now 38 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Jamaica.

Results from the National Influenza Centre showed that of the nine pending results, seven samples tested negative, while two were positive for COVID-19, the JIS said.

The two new cases are:

• a 48 year old female from St. Elizabeth with a travel history from Boston/Atlanta, USA, who arrived in the island on March 24  and
• a 13 year old male from Kingston & St. Andrew. His mode of transmission is under investigation.

There are now twenty-four (24) imported cases, eleven (11) import-related and three (3) cases are under investigation.

In the meantime, a second patient [Patient 3.1, from St. James] has recovered from COVID-19 and released from hospital, the JIS said.

Source: CARICOM TODAY