By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A 79-year-old dialysis patient is one of the country’s COVID-19 related deaths.

The patient was one of two COVID-positive patients who died Thursday night. The other was a 67-year-old woman.

A family spokesperson confirmed the elderly man’s death to The Tribune, but said the family did not want to comment at this time as “we are trying to accept and deal with it”.

According to a Tribune source, the man had been hospitalised and was very ill.

“(The patient) was in the hospital and he was ill,” said the source. “He was a dialysis patient and you know how that is with the COVID-19. This already puts him in the high risk group.

“Bahamians need to take this virus very seriously,” the Tribune source continued. “(The deceased patient) was at risk being ill and in a medical institution, but those who can’t seem to stay from going outdoors really need to check themselves. The more we expose ourselves unnecessary, the more we risk getting it. I can’t understand why people don’t get that. COVID-19 is here in The Bahamas. That is now our reality. The more we adhere to what our health officials tell us to do, the better off we will be.”

In a briefing on Friday, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands said that the majority of the remaining patients are in a stable condition but some are very ill.