By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

COVID-19 cases in the country climbed to 8,909 after 70 new cases and two more virus-related deaths were recorded between Friday and Saturday, with Grand Bahama accounting for most new infections.

The latest deceased victims are a 44-year-old man from New Providence who died on March 15 and a 55-year-old New Providence woman who died on March 17, pushing the country’s COVID-19 death toll to 188. Fifteen deaths still remain under investigation.

According to data released by the Ministry of Health, there were also 167 infections confirmed last week: 16 on Sunday, 11 on Monday, 25 on Tuesday, 20 on Wednesday, 25 on Thursday, 45 on Friday and 25 on Saturday. The week prior saw 120 new infections.

New Providence accounted for the highest number of positive cases last week at 74—nine of which were linked to travel—followed closely by Grand Bahama at 73.

Grand Bahama has seen a recent uptick of cases of late, with 27 new cases alone reported last Friday.

In a statement released at the weekend, health officials revealed initial investigations conducted on Grand Bahama found most of the infections were travel-related, specifically due to inter-island trips. None of the cases was identified as clusters or linked to the workplace, officials added.

“Three persons tested positive upon returning from Nassau after five days. One of the positive cases arrived from Abaco, became symptomatic in Freeport, and subsequently tested positive. Nine of the cases tested positive after developing symptoms and being evaluated at a local hospital,” the Ministry of Health reported.

“The general public is also advised that there is no association with international travel via air or the Balearia.”

Health officials say they are also concerned about the rise in hospitalisations in Grand Bahama. There are currently 13 positive patients and one person under investigation for COVID-19 in hospital, officials said.

Meanwhile, in New Providence, 13 people remain hospitalised.

The uptick in cases and hospitalisations in Grand Bahama came after curfew restrictions were relaxed there back in February due to low numbers being reported on the island at the time.

But health officials have said the rise may be attributed “due to the increase in attendance at events and smaller gatherings.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan recently told reporters that while health officials are closely monitoring the rise in cases, they feel confident that members of the COVID-19 task force will be able to get a handle on the situation there.

“We continue to monitor the trends and any spike is concerning, small though it may be but what we would’ve done is we meet regularly in our EOC (emergency operations centre) and we discuss all that is going on in any particular island,” she said recently.

“I was pretty confident that what is happening in Grand Bahama with the team – they are actually putting measures in place to ensure that that little spike does not get out of control.”

Meanwhile, in Abaco, she said officials have identified “one or two of the gaps” that contributed to the clusters there and feel confident that the island is moving in the right direction. The island has a total count of 296 cases.

“We identified one or two of the gaps that we anticipated would’ve actually contributed in the clusters that were going on there and we definitely sought to ensure that the team n the ground would’ve shored up and we’re also looking at enhanced reporting to our healthcare facilities of all tests done on the island so, we believe that that is also moving in a positive direction,” she said.

Last week, Dr McMillan was also asked for an update on the 52 COVID-19 test samples that were sent abroad to determine if any of the new strains are present in country.

However, she said: “Unfortunately, we do not have those results as yet. I spoke with the National Reference Lab director as recently and we have made contact and have asked them to put a rush on it but we don’t have the results as yet, unfortunately.”

Dozens of countries worldwide have detected new COVID-19 strains originating from the UK, South Africa and Brazil.