The Ministry of Health did not report any deaths due to Covid-19 this week. With a total of 122 deaths from 6,852 confirmed infections since March, the case fatality rate (the number of reported deaths divided by the number of confirmed cases) is 1.78%.
In the United States, it is around 1.87%, in Jamaica 2.36% and Barbados 2.41%. The total number of actual deaths vary widely across these countries from the US that has seen nearly 300,000 deaths to Barbados, which has had 7 deaths.
There were 19 new infections reported today, one a repatriated national, and a total of 627 active cases in the country. Of these, 46 are in hospital and 26 in step-down facilities. There are 338 people in state quarantine facilities and 359 in self-isolation. In the prison system, 177 inmates are being quarantined.
The Ministry of Health reminds members of the public to adhere to the ‘new normal’ and:
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when you go out in public;
- Keep your distance from others (six feet);
- Stay home if you are ill;
- Clean then sanitise surfaces, such as tabletops, doorknobs and cell phones;
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitiser;
- Cough into a tissue or the crook of your elbow;
- Avoid touching your face.
Persons are urged to call Covid-19 hotline numbers: 877-WELL, 87-SWRHA or 877-3742 (Trinidad) and 800-HEAL (Tobago) if they feel unwell; or they can report a possible breach of Covid-19 regulations by calling 555, or sending messages—inclusive of photographs and videos—to the Police App or via WhatsApp to 482-GARY.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly used ‘infection mortality rate’ (IFR) to describe the ‘case fatality rate’ (CFR). CFR is the ratio of the number of deaths divided by the number of confirmed cases of the disease. On the other hand, IFR is the ratio of deaths divided by the number of actual infections with SARS-CoV-2.