TT confirms first covid19 case

Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed its first positive case of a coronavirus infection.

At a press conference on Thursday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh made the announcement just two hours after declaring that there were no cases confirmed in the country.

Deyalsingh said at Thursday’s post-Cabinet meeting, the first case would have been an imported case.

The patient is a 52-year-old man  who came from Switzerland and started exhibiting symptoms on Wednesday.

Deyalsingh said he immediately put himself in isolation and will be transported to the hospital in Caura.

His family is self-quarantining.

Neither Deyalsingh or National Security Minister Stuart Young said whether the patient was a national. They said only that he resides in TT.

TT follows Guyana, Jamaica, St Vincent, Cuba and three other countries which reported confirmed cases in the Caribbean.