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– Latest victim was exposed to previously confirmed case

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Deputy Premier and Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Carvin Malone (AL) this afternoon May 5, 2020, confirmed one new case of the deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in the Territory, bringing the total local confirmed cases to seven, inclusive of one death.

He said over the course of the past week and as per the protocols established, some twenty-one test samples taken from persons in the Virgin Islands were sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago for testing and confirmation. 

“I am reporting that while twenty of the samples were tested as negative, there exists one of the samples that was confirmed as positive for the virus that causes COVID-19.”

He said, “These findings were consistent with local lab results, bringing the total number of COVID-19 recorded cases in the Territory to seven, with three confirmed recoveries, three active cases and one loss of life to the disease.”

Virus contracted through community transmission   

Hon Malone further noted the latest case came as a result of community transmission from a previously detected case, and that the individual was quarantined and had tested negative in a previous batch of COVID-19 testing.

“In this regard, the person was kept under quarantine for the full duration of the incubation period and was retested in accordance with established protocols.”

According to the Minister, to date, there have been 132 COVID-19 tests in the VI with 125 persons deemed negative, 7 found positive, 3 recoveries, 3 active cases, 1 death and 13 persons currently in quarantine.

He said the latest patient has exhibited only mild symptoms of the virus and therefore, will be kept in isolation until full recovery.