COVID-19 cases in the Caribbean nearing 100 mark
Cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) have now sky rocketed in the English-speaking Caribbean islands with 35 confirmed cases and two deaths, including one new case in the neighbouring United Stated Virgin Islands (USVI).
This is an increase of 31 cases over the last five days, after it was firstly reported by BVI News that only four cases had existed in the English-speaking Caribbean on Thursday March 12.
Jamaica
Leading the region is Jamaica, who now has a total of 15 cases, after their Health Ministry reported five additional cases on Monday, March 16.
According to a statement by Jamaica’s Health Ministry, two of the new cases are linked to patients who travelled from the United Kingdom, while another included a Jamaica patient with no travel history who had recently hosted visitors from the UK.
Also testing positive was a patient who traveled to Trinidad and Tobago on the same flight as a confirmed case, and an American child who travelled through Miami.
The other two cases were vaguely described as patients from western Jamaica.
USVI
The USVI Health Department, I in the meantime, confirmed its second confirmed case of the virus late Monday, only stating that it involved a patient from the St. Thomas-St. John District.
The USVI which is currently under a State of Emergency, is awaiting results from testing of eight other suspected cases classified under “persons under investigation”.
Other English-speaking
The other islands which all have nationals currently residing in the British Virgin Islands include: Trinidad and Tobago – who recently closed its land and sea borders to non-nationals of the country for 14 days – with five cases; Guyana with seven including one death; Saint Lucia with two reported; and Cayman Islands (one death), Bahamas, Antigua & Barbuda, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines all confirming one case each.
Non-English-Speaking islands
Meanwhile, the non-English-speaking Caribbean Islands have also seen a major increase in reported cases which now stands at 62.
Leading the list are the French Islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique who have 18 and 15 cases, respectively.
The other islands include: Dominican Republic with 11, Puerto Rico with five, Cuba with four, three in Saint Barthelemy, two in Aruba, and two in Curacao.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 97 in the Caribbean.
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Will the Premier close all entry ports and schools in the BVI today?
You said Cuba twice.
The Novel Covid-19 Coronavirus is not a hoax as US President Donald John Trump proclaimed it was. It is real. President Trump had his Damascus moment yesterday and had to acknowledge that it is real and serious. The VI regional sister Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanic…. etc neighbors have confirmed cases of the virus. It is just a matter of time before it lands on the VI shores. As such, the VI must seize this window of opportunity to take all practical efforts to prevent, contain, control and mitigate the virus.
Moreover, the VI has limited medical capacity, ie, hospital beds, ventilators, respirators, nurses, doctors, lab techs and other medical professionals, as well as other equipment. Thus, it must aggressively take action to dampen the wave or flatten the curve. Consequently, it should close all schools( private and public), limit mass gatherings (10-20) , encourage social and physical distancing (catch a wave), lock down the whole territory, increase monitoring of its territorial sea (12 miles) and exclusive economic zone (200 miles) ( needs UK help in naval patrolling of its extensive porous border)……..etc.
Though there is no confirmed cases as yet, a surge of infections can overwhelm the health system. Now is the time to build surge capacity.
The Novel Covid-19 Coronavirus is not a hoax as US President Donald John Trump proclaimed it was. It is real. President Trump had his Damascus moment yesterday and had to acknowledge that it is real and serious. The VI regional sister Anglophone, Francophone, Hispanic…. etc neighbors have confirmed cases of the virus. It is just a matter of time before it lands on the VI shores. As such, the VI must seize this window of opportunity to take all practical efforts to prevent, contain, control and mitigate the virus.
Moreover, the VI has limited medical capacity, ie, hospital beds, ventilators, respirators, nurses, doctors, lab techs and other medical professionals, as well as other equipment. Thus it must aggressively take action to dampen the wave or flatten the curve. Consequently, it should close all schools( private and public), limit mass gatherings (10-20) , encourage social and physical distancing (catch a wave), lock down the whole territory, increase monitoring of its territorial sea (12 miles) and exclusive economic zone (200 miles) ( needs UK help in naval patrolling of its extensive porous border)……..etc.
Though there is no confirmed cases as yet, a surge of infections can overwhelm the heealth system. Now is the time to build surge capacity.
Don’t forget the 2 confirmed cases in Barbados.
@Baje, Barbados is part of the Anglophone group.
WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 3 BRAZILIANS WHO CAME OFF THE CRUISE SHIP AND NEVER RETURNED AND ARE SOMEWHERE THROUGH OUR ISLANDS AND CAN’T BE FOUND ONLY GOD KNOWS IF THEY ARE CARRYING THE VIRUS
When you see my wife and I, do not touch us or come near to us!
WELL, LOCK YOUR A$$3S UP IN YOUR MANSION.You think being rich and snobby will make you immune to the virus. Bro, you are in for a rude awakening SMH.
Guyana have only have 4 confirmed cases with 1 death. So that leaves 3 confirned cases how did u guys get 7 ????
10 million people living in the Dominican Republic alone. If there are under 100 cases in the entire Caribbean then I wouldn’t be panicking. But you may do as you please.
Please tell me those ferries have stopped now.
People, whether we have any confirmed cases or not, we can bet it’s already here and it’s now our job to contain it and find ways to look after each other while limiting contact. We have some sort of practice of the looking after each other but lost our way. Let’s get this back, carry on rebuilding and emerge all the stronger and better prepared.
Do you really think that man would blog such foolishness SMH. Some people thinks it is Ok to use other peoples name under disguised. Sets of cowards.
Scatoes the cure for carona
This is serious we in the bvi gotto be careful and see keep out distance