CMO: Rise in new Covid-19 cases for March ’cause for concern’

New Covid-19 cases have risen steadily each week for the month of March. Last week, 72 cases were confirmed, the week before saw 47 new cases. At the end of the first week of the month, 23 new cases had been confirmed.

Speaking at the Ministry of Health’s virtual media conference, chief medical officer Dr Roshan Parasram described the trend as a ‘significant increase’ in cases.

Photo: A boy’s temperature is taken to screen for Covid-19.

“It really needs to be viewed by the public and by the Ministry of Health as something of concern at this point in time,” he said.

He referenced the start of T&T’s ‘second phase’ when cases spiked in August last year to warn the public to adhere to public health ordinances.

“The number of cases escalated and the doubling time increased very quickly and we don’t want to get back to that early trajectory of August and September (2020),” he said. “So, we really need everyone to play their part. Follow the public health guidelines; they’re there to protect yourselves, your families and everyone in the population.”

Today, the ministry reported six new positive cases of Covid-19, which brings total confirmed infections since March 2020 to 7,861. There have been 106,667 people tested to date.

Eleven people are in hospital, while 292 are in state quarantine facilities. A further 133 people are under self-quarantine.

In total, 140 people have died from the disease. No new deaths have been recorded in two weeks.

More from Wired868
Vaneisa: The laptop and the book—things to ponder before handing out devices

More than a decade ago, when the People’s Partnership Government provided laptops to students entering secondary school, it was seen Read more

Dear Editor: My issue with our health facilities—where Arima gets high and low marks

My experience at the Arima hospital today was mixed. It was mostly sweet, mind you. Everyone who I came into Read more

Vaneisa: Why dirty old men survive and flourish—even among ‘decent folks’

Last Tuesday, Gwynne Dyer headlined his Express column Stupid old men. You could substitute all sorts of adjectives before the Read more

Dear Editor: Soldier in road rage video is disgrace to TTDF

“[…] What kind of country are we living in if our trained soldiers are behaving this way in broad daylight? Read more

Dear Editor: Silence is not always strength—why men’s health is national issue

“[…] In Trinidad and Tobago, non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer continue to claim far too many of Read more

Vaneisa: Words to live by—‘pleasure reading’ can be transformative for our youth

My preoccupation with advocating that we do more to encourage a love for reading stems from a conviction that it Read more

Check Also

‘Progress rarely straightforward’; CWI call ‘emergency meeting’ after WI bowled out for 27

“[…] Progress is rarely straightforward… We have already seen encouraging signs, particularly with the ball… …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.