Rapidly spreading! Over 200 new COVID cases in less than 72 hours
More than 200 new COVID-19 cases have been added to the BVI’s tally in less than 72 hours; highlighting the frightening rate at which the number of positive cases is multiplying in the territory.
According to the territory’s latest epidemiological summary released yesterday afternoon, the current reported count of active cases stands at 1,272 cases.
This represents 223 cases more than the previous total of 1,049 announced by Health Minister Malone when he commenced a live Facebook broadcast at 6:38 pm three days earlier.
And with the discovery of the Omicron variant in the territory, Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Ronald Georges said there will continue to be quite an increase in cases since the doubling time for this variant is between two to three days.
“So Omicron is much more efficient at spreading from person to person and the increases in numbers are much more drastic than the other variants that have been in circulation,” Dr Georges said.
The CMO said even though cases with the Omicron variant are of a milder nature, the sheer number of cases that are created can lead to significant hospitalisations.
Current hospitalisations from COVID have risen from 12 persons last week to 16 persons as of Monday.
And while the vast majority of total active cases (1,035) continue to be on Tortola, cases have begun to climb considerably on the sister islands as well.
There are now 214 reported cases on Virgin Gorda, four cases on Jost Van Dyke and 19 on Anegada.
More than half of the cases — 658 persons — have been described as local cases, while a further 498 have been determined to be contacts of cases.
Shortage of healthcare workers
This news comes as health officials have announced a shortage of healthcare workers, with more than 100 of those officers having tested positive last week for the coronavirus.
Dr Georges attributed the rapid surge in cases partially to lax adherence to social distancing and sanitisation protocols.
He said there was a number of large gatherings over the holiday period, including staff parties and Christmas concerts that helped to increase the number of cases.
The CMO said since the COVID-19 outbreak last year, the government has relaxed a number of restrictive measures that had been put in place back then, for the purpose of increasing economic activity.
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Stop testing. Stop fear mongering. How many in the hospital BECAUSE of Covid19? How many in the Hospital for something else and tested positive for Covid19? Or Omincon the barely a regular cold variant? God is watching, He knows the evil that is abounding. Fear of the Lord, is the beginning of wisdom.
Stop testing? Something is wrong with you.
So by stop testing and ignoring it, it aint there? You a fool. We need numbers, we need statistics, we need data. This is science my friend.
Well!Well! I didn’t know Donald Trump read our news.
That comment was from Obama, president of the Ni**as
Wrong again. It was from that uncivilized, unevolved, childlike mentality and human hater said the cra**er.
We have a Trump among us. just as stupid.
why are we deliberately importing Covid on cruise ships? More than half of the scheduled ships this month are Yellow-coded by the CDC, which means that they have exceeded their Covid infection level. This cynical government posture is crippling our health services, and BVI business, for what? These poor, sick tourists spend little, and the rest of us are sacrificed at the altar of a few special interests.
Your name obviously ain’t Romney
We need some quarantine centers because selfish people are going where they want, when they want knowing that they tested positive.
That’s what we need: concentration camps! Because they are working so great in Australia.
The VIP give the go ahead for massive parties and now we all are suffering because of it
They not only gave the go ahead, they hosted many parties themself!
Actually its more cases than that. Persons are testing at home, and not reporting nor going to the doctor to get it confirmed. So it is what it is. COVID will be around so we just have to live with it.
We have to live with it, but we have to stop being careless about it.
You do realize that cases are spiking in literally every country on earth, right? Or do you really think the problem is only here?
Correct. The show must go on, and the new goal should be to learn how to LIVE (work, learn, travel, etc.) with Covid. Not by locking down or even isolating, but by beefing up protocols and boosting immunity. In my opinion, the only people that need to be isolated are those that are ill/severely symptomatic (JUST like with the flu or any other airborne disease we have learned to live with, because clearly Corona is not going anywhere.) We are fooling ourselves by thinking that everyone that catches Covid can be expected to lock themselves up for 10-14 days. People have to earn a living. The country must continue to run. Just look at the numbers… The lock down approach has become unrealistic.
Which “protocols” do you think need “beefing up?” All the ones that didn’t work to slow the spread to begin with? You don’t seem to understand that “living with Covid” doesn’t mean just “not locking down,” it means LIVING. No mask mandates, no mandatory testing and quarantine, no bouncers screaming at you to “SANITIZE” anytime you walk indoors. This stuff is theatre. It didn’t work before, it doesn’t work now, and it won’t work in the future. We have vaccines and treatments for those who need them, and for the rest of us this is going to be a seasonal cold that we have to cope with every year just like every other seasonal cold we’ve ever had. Here’s a “protocol” for you: chicken soup and staying home until you feel better.
Why is only 50% of everyone vaccinated? Looks like we are at bottom of world order of stupidity..
they were only told to say ( LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED ?) but you won’t read that on the yellow canary site / the king of propaganda ,
Don’t bother with a test. That is one point in time, meaningless. If you don’t feel well, stay home. The omicron variant is little more than a cold and will be gone by February. Ask Africa, it was nothing.
Well, if dying is nothing, you are correct.
“Rapid spreading”?
No! They found many cases in a short time because they STARTED TESTING after the virus had a chance to spread!
Corona didnt go anywhere, we were living with it and spreading it.
But now the want to scare you into the booster so the made it sound like a massive surge.
STOP LYING TO THE PPL!
Dying?! Who is dying?! There’s not more than handful of deaths in the entire WORLD attributable to Omicron, let alone here.