700 recorded in January
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - HEALTH officials in Barbados are said to be working assiduously to contain the fallout from the recent super spreader Bus Crawl, which is being blamed for one of a number of cluster spreads of the COVID-19 virus that has now topped more than 1,000 positive cases.
That is one of two health-related issues currently affecting the island. Now Barbados is being compounded with an outbreak of Dengue Fever, which is being blamed for several deaths.
During a press conference today (Jan. 20), Minister of Health in Bridgetown, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Bostic confirmed that the island recorded 1,156 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, of which 758 of that number were found in January.
He told reporters that there have been 93, 070 tests since the onset of the pandemic and 22,815 have so far been undertaken this month.
For the last week, the island reported 120 new positive cases from a total of 5,850 samples tested, with further data pointing out that 1,556 tests were conducted over the last three days and 15 were returned.
The territory this morning recorded its ninth death when a male octogenarian succumbed to the dreaded virus while seeking treatment.
“The deceased is an 83-year-old male who presented to the Accident and Emergency Department yesterday...he passed away but the COVID test which was taken by the Accident and Emergency Department came back positive,” the Minister announced.
Minister Bostic explained that the individual was seen earlier in December at the A&E Department but was sent home. However, while being checked into a nursing home, where he spent one and a half hours, the man exhibited symptoms and was tested before he died.
One of his 17 contacts, following contact tracing, was found to be positive with the virus, the Minister added, noting that the lone case was linked with the West Coast cluster.
Meanwhile, the island reported two Dengue Fever-related deaths over the last two days, with another confirmed late today.
The first two deaths are those of an eight-year-old who was described by health officials as having a pre-existing health condition, and a male who was identified as Peanut, with no pre-existing condition.
The third person has not yet been identified.
In a bid to combat the Dengue Fever problem, the Health Minister indicated that they would begin regular fogging.
