By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FIVE new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed yesterday, making it the largest single day increase in cases since tracking of them began. There are now 70 confirmed cases in the country.

The cases included a 28-year-old woman from New Providence isolating at home, a 33-year-old New Providence man isolating at home, a 65-year-old hospitalised male resident of New Providence, a 63-year-old Bimini resident at a government quarantine facility, and a 78-year-old Bimini man isolating at home. None of the people has a history of travel.

The two Bimini residents are the second and third confirmed cases on that island since Kim Johnson-Rolle, the sister of Immigration Minister Elsworth Johnson, became the country’s first COVID-19 death. She was Bimini’s first COVID-19 case.

The Bimini cases are the father and step-mother of former consul general to Atlanta, Randy Rolle.

On Tuesday, Mr Rolle told The Tribune that Mrs Johnson-Rolle attended the same church as his father and the pair were last in the same vicinity at a March 27 funeral. He said his father and step-mother obeyed social distancing rules and that she became ill sometime after his father recovered from a high fever and a cough. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands helped persuade her to be airlifted to New Providence on Monday, he said.

Health officials forecast that as the country increases testing, there will be more confirmed cases of COVID-19. At the same time, an increasing rate of confirmed cases is among the factors likely to influence when the country reopens.

“What we will do is look at the number of people with complaints, of flu-like illness, fever and other signs of COVID-19,” Dr Sands said about signs the epidemic curve is flattening at a recent press conference.

“We will look at the number of people in our emergency rooms, and the number of people in our hospitals and then gradually we will start to see a reduction.

“Then we can start to consider whether it is safe to ease up on the restrictive lockdown and curfews. And we are nowhere near there yet.”

According to the Ministry of Health, there are 792 people in quarantine and 12 recovered cases. Nine people have died from the disease.

Those who are experiencing COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms should call the Ministry of Health’s 24-hour hotline at 502-7382.