Health Ministry monitoring COVID-19 hotspots countrywide

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony says several communities across the country are being monitored as COVID-19 hotspots.

During Monday’s COVID-19 update, the health minister noted that over the last 24 hours, 80 persons tested positive for the disease with some 1,910 active cases recorded countrywide.

“In terms of hospitalisation we have 104 persons who have been hospitalised at Ocean View. We have 78 persons in the hospital right now and we have 26 persons who are in the ICU. So, you can see within a very short period of time, our ICU numbers have moved from about 12 right up to 26 right now.

“So, this is showing that there are cases, people are getting infected where they are getting a more severe form of the infection.”

Regions three and four continue to record high numbers of COVID-19 infections in some communities. Georgetown has also recorded a high number with 409 active cases.

Dr. Anthony said the spike in cases can be attributed to persons’ failure to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols such as mask wearing, social distancing and sanitising. He further urged persons to take “all necessary precautions” to protect against contracting COVID-19, especially with the emergence of the Delta variant.

“One of the best ways that you can protect yourself is really getting by getting vaccinated,” Dr. Anthony encouraged. To date, 311, 539 persons or 60.7 per cent of the country’s adult population has taken the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 160, 649 or 31.3 per cent are fully inoculated. Minister Anthony noted that the number of adolescents vaccinated will be made available from Tuesday.