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Coronavirus Published On August 21, 2020

Roseau Dominica By GETTY IMAGES/ PURCHASED BY VI CONSORTIUM

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Dominica recorded its first coronavirus case in more than 100 days as Jamaica and Suriname recorded deaths from the virus that has so far killed 792,000 people and infected more than 22.6 million others worldwide as of Thursday.

Dominica National Epidemiologist, Dr.  Shaulludin Ahmed, a British national who arrived on the island earlier this month, is the latest case bringing the total number to 19.

“He arrived in Dominica on August 10. Prior to arrival he had two PCR tests done which were negative. On arrival, the rapid test was conducted and it was negative. He was on home quarantine for the most part and he is asymptomatic and he has been asymptomatic all through his quarantine phase. He was admitted to the COVID Centre last night and he will be monitored for the next 14 days,” he added.

Ahmed said that contact tracing is ongoing and Dominica, which has not recorded any deaths, has one active case.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of the Re-opening of the Borders, Dr. Laura Esprit, said that the authorities have approved several penalties for persons who leave the quarantine areas without permission.

She said the penalty for non-adherence to quarantine is EC$5,000 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) or six months imprisonment and the penalty for providing false information is EC$1,000 or three months in jail.

In Trinidad, a former government minister, Dr Tim Gopeesingh has tested positive for the virus, as the country said it now has 615 active cases.

Gopeesingh, a gynaecologist, wrote on his Facebook page that he had tested positive for the virus on last Wednesday.

“Under the existing health protocols and guidelines, I am currently in the State’s medical care, where I am being very well managed by a frontline team of nurses, doctors and support staff, for which I am very grateful,” he said.

The Ministry of Health in its latest bulletin, said that there were now 767 positive cases and that 37 people had contracted the virus over the past 24 hours. There have been 12 deaths.

In Jamaica, Health and Wellness Minister, Dr Christopher Tufton   said one person died and 98 people have tested positive for the virus.

The authorities said that a 74-year-old man was the island’s 15th death from the virus and that the total number of confirmed positive cases since the outbreak, is 1,290.

Tufton said the new cases consist of 46 females and 52 males with ages ranging from four years to 80 years. He said 10 of the cases were imported, eight arriving from the United States and two from India, while seven were contacts of confirmed cases.

In Suriname, one person died from the virus, pushing the total to 55.

The health authorities in Suriname said that 71 persons tested positive over the past 24 hours and that the number of active cases now stands at 928 out of a total of 3,366.

There are now 129 people in the hospital with 20 patients in intensive care units. The numbers in isolation and quarantine are 832 to 510 respectively.

In Haiti, the Ministry of Public Health, said 48 new cases of COVID-19 had been confirmed, pushing the total to 7,997 cases, since the first case was detected on March 19.

It said that the death toll remains at 196 and that there were 2,326 active cases.

The authorities said that there have been 152 imported cases since the reopening of airports in July.