COVID-19 Updates: Wednesday, 22 April 2020

Slight slowdown in new cases in Jamaica

After reporting over 20 new COVID-19 cases each day over the past five days or so, there was a drop in positive tests in Jamaica yesterday.

Health authorities confirmed ten new cases, bringing 20 233 the number of positive results.

A release from the ministry of health said the ten comprised five of its employees who are contacts of a confirmed case, three who form part of a workplace cluster in the south eastern parish St Catherine and two who are under investigation.

"Concerning the ministry employees who have tested positive, contact tracing is being done to determine their level of exposure to other team members. They will be monitored by the health team and provided with the necessary support during this period," the release stated.

However, it said the results "have caused significant anxiety", prompting it to initiate steps to calm the fears of all staff.

"Those steps include making available counselling services for those who need them. In addition, members of the team are now on home quarantine for 14 days while others have been asked to work from home based on the risk assessment done," the health ministry said, adding that it has also conducted "an intense" cleaning exercise for all its offices.

Jamaica now has 34 imported cases of COVID-19, eight that are local transmission with no epidemiological link, 52 that are contacts of a confirmed case, and 139 under investigation.

Saba carnival cancelled

Yet another summer festival has fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic.

Saba has become the latest to cancel this year's carnival after Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados announced this week they were calling off their premier festivals.

"As you know there is much uncertainty surrounding this pandemic and what the coming months hold. Because of this it was decided to cancel the Saba summer festival this year," Jonathan Johnson, the governor of the tiny Dutch Caribbean island of 1900 people said last night in his daily coronavirus update.

This year's event, which would have marked the 45th anniversary of carnival in Saba, was scheduled to take place from 24 July 24 to 2 August.

St. Kitts has first recovered patient

One person has recovered from COVID-19 in St. Kitts, bringing the total number of active cases in the down to 14, the authorities reported.

A release late yesterday from the St. Kitts Tourism Authority said the results of 12 tests are pending, one person is quarantined in a government facility and 64 persons are currently being quarantined at home.

Eleven COVID-19 deaths in St. Maarten

The highly contagious coronavirus has claimed one more victim in St. Maarten, bringing to 11 the number of fatalities.

The prime minister, Silveria Jacobs, said in a national broadcast last night that the person died at the intensive care unit of the St. Maarten Medical Centre "sadly, during last night after a long battle". She did not disclose the persons gender, name of age. There are nine COVID-19 patients still warded at the hospital, two of whom at in the ICU.

Jacobs also announced that the number of confirmed cases has risen to 71, after another three positive tests. Of these there are 22 recoveries.

100 per cent recovery rate in St. Lucia

Saint Lucia's health ministry reported today that all 15 positive cases of COVID-19 have recovered, with the last two cases who were in isolation receiving negative COVID-19 test results and discharged from hospital.

"This now places Saint Lucia at a 100 per cent recovery of all COVID-19 cases," the ministry said in a release late today. It said among the 15 cases recorded were people who fell within the category of high risk by virtue of some being elderly as well as living with chronic illness.

"They too recovered well with no complications or needed critical care," the release stressed.

St Lucia remains on a partial shutdown and a ten-hour curfew from 7 pm to 5 am.

Trinidad records an additional case

After going a full week without any new cases, the drought has been broken in Trinidad and Tobago.

The country's health ministry said in an online post today that as of this afternoon there were 115 positive test results, up by one.

As is the norm, no other information was shared about the new case.

• By Johnson JohnRose