Active covid19 cases climb to 146

Eighteen new covid19 cases were reported on Saturday, bringing the total to 7,839, with active cases moving back up at 146.

The Ministry of Health’s 4 pm covid19 update said the 18 were from samples taken between March 17 to 19, and two are from Tobago.

Among the 146 active cases, nine were in hospital, one at a step down facility, and 118 in home self-isolation.

Deaths remain at 140, the number in state quarantine facilities is 379, and recovered patients is 7,553.

Speaking at the virtual press briefing on Saturday morning, technical director of epidemiology Dr Avery Hinds said the previous seven-day rolling average was three cases per day, but now it was around eight due to some “cluster activity.”

He said the surge should make people more vigilant in sticking to the health guidelines, as well as to stay home when feeling unwell, even if the symptoms are mild. He also advised people who go to be swabbed because they suspect they may have covid19 to then go home and isolate themselves from their families.

Regarding covid19 variants, he said those of “public health concern” such as the UK, Brazil and South African variants, were not found in the local population. However, there were “a couple of those” in people who were repatriated or were tested as part of their immigration processing.

“Those individuals were quarantined and it was ensured they either didn’t enter the population at all or they only entered after they had been cleared of infection.”