By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE number of confirmed Zika cases in New Providence has doubled to eight, with Health Minister Perry Gomez reporting four new cases throughout the capital yesterday.

While Mr Gomez stopped short of supplying more details of the new cases, he did indicate that officials were still receiving results associated with the 83 suspected cases reported earlier this month.

“I can tell you at this time that we are up to eight cases in New Providence,” Dr Gomez told The Tribune. “I can’t give you any more details on those cases, but you can relay to the public that there are now eight confirmed cases in New Providence.”

Dr Gomez said that health officials would provide more information on the four new cases in the coming days.

Both Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell and Pinewood MP Khaalis Rolle have urged residents in their communities to take the necessary precautions to prevent mosquito bites after Zika cases were confirmed in both areas.

The Bahamas reported an initial case of the virus on August 10 in a mane who had recently travelled to Jamaica. The man is a resident of Pinewood Gardens, officials have said.

Subsequently, on August 23, officials confirmed three more cases; two of which were reported in women and two of which were transmitted locally, via mosquitoes in the area infected with the Zika virus.

Due to the risk of the virus being spread sexually, health officials have recommended the use of condoms, with a special warning being given to pregnant women to use protection while having sex or not engage in sex at all during pregnancy.

Officials have insisted that while the virus has been primarily transmitted as a result of mosquito bites, the increase in sexually transmitted cases of the virus has led officials to encourage use of condoms to guard against an outbreak.

Last Tuesday, the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Zika virus travel notice for the Bahamas, following confirmation of local transmission.

The advisory recommended that US citizens travelling to or residing in the Bahamas enrol in the Department of State’s Smart Traveller Enrolment Programme (STEP), which provides those enrolled with security updates and direct link to local consulates in case of emergencies.

It advised people travelling to the Bahamas to protect themselves from mosquito bites while there and for three weeks after returning home.

Pregnant women are advised not to travel to Zika infected areas or to have sex with partners who have lived or travelled to infected areas.

Prior to this warning, only Canada and Taiwan had issued Zika related travel warnings for persons coming to the Bahamas.

According to WPLG Local 10, a Florida news station, 43 people have contracted the Zika virus locally in Florida, with the majority having occurred in Miami-Dade County.