By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH officials are still waiting to receive the test results of several positive COVID-19 samples that were sent abroad to determine which of the new coronavirus strains are present in the country.

Dozens of countries worldwide have since detected the mutations that were originally found in the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Africa and India.

At a Ministry of Health press conference last month, health officials said “the emergence of variant strains of COVID-19” was of significant concern.

National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee chairperson, Dr Merceline Dahl Regis said genetic testing between March 13 and April 17 showed an upward trend in the detection of deletion in samples, which means the variant strains are likely in the country.

She said a breakdown by islands shows New Providence, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Long Island, Exuma and Eleuthera could have variant strains present.

According to officials, ten samples were sent to a reference laboratory abroad to determine which strain was in the country.

Asked for an update on the matter yesterday, Health Minister Renward Wells told reporters: “We do not know as yet.”

He said of the ten samples sent, about four were still viable to be tested.

“As a matter of fact, we sent off ten samples from my understanding and out of the ten, I think only four once they arrived at the lab were viable for testing. We’re still awaiting the results of that so the ministry is still in the process of seeing how we can ensure how we get those results very quickly from CARPHA, the Caribbean Public Health Agency,” he said.

This comes as the country continues to see a sustained uptick in positive cases and hospitalizations, particularly in New Providence and Grand Bahama.

There has also been a rise in infections on several Family Islands, including Andros and the Berry Islands, which had 126 and 81 cases respectively as of Monday. Yesterday, Mr Wells said they are monitoring the situation in both communities very closely.

“We do see an increase in cases in Andros and we do see an increase in cases in the Berry Islands and the Ministry of Health has sent its requisite teams down to assess the circumstance and to see where we are in regards to vaccination in those areas, who have been exposed,” he told reporters.

“Contact tracing is aggressive and we’re following up. We’re seeking to get our hand around it and it is a very fluid circumstance and situation in those islands and the government, if need be will come back with other determinations, but right now we believe that getting vaccinated and adhering to the health protocols that are in place would help us to be able to get our hands around what is taking place in those beautiful islands of Andros and the Berry Islands.”

Asked if officials believe the current restrictions in place are working to help to defeat this third wave of new infections, the health minister replied that while restrictions could be strengthened, officials feel confident that they have the situation under control.

He said: “We could be more strengthened from the governmental side in regard to the things that nobody would want which is lockdowns and other curfews and lowering the curfew down to 8’oclock, or 6’oclock… but as it stands now, the Ministry of Health has its hands around how we are moving forward. We are dealing with the positive cases. We’re (doing) contact tracing and we’re vaccinating.”

According to the latest information from the Ministry of Health, 53 new cases were recorded on Monday bringing the nation’s COVID-19 toll to 11,278. Deaths remain at 221 while 48 people are in hospital with the virus.