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.
Comments
John 4 years, 6 months ago
Two are in Bimini and how many are at PMH
Jim 4 years, 6 months ago
Bimini - can't tell what to believe anymore. The dates, time lines and contacts are not logical.
John 4 years, 6 months ago
They are. You just have to know how to decipher, extrapolate and project
John 4 years, 6 months ago
My understanding is this virus will pass over the entire population regardless of curfew or lockdowns. Curfews and lockdowns help stagger the progress of the virus and by being in a ‘rest’ mode persons are less likely to become severely ill when they contract the virus. The ‘closed boarders’ mechanism helps prevent ‘strangers’ from bringing new strains of the virus into a population and causing the virus to mutate more rapidly or even reinfect as China is claiming is happening over there. And they are rapidly trying to control it and restrict and monitor the number Of persons entering China so as to prevent a second wave. So if you assume these two new cases in Bimini (and even the one on Cat Cay) are related. Then you ask why so long a gap between these cases and the first ones. Well persons who originally came in contact with the first patients may have been healthy carriers of what your prime minister refers to as ‘super spreaders’, meaning they have the virus, but no symptoms. But when they come into contact with less vulnerable persons who may have a compromised immune system even, then these people develop the disease. Again this is just my opinion or understanding as to how this virus operates. And notice that the persons in quarantine have also gone back up.
Jim 4 years, 6 months ago
Rumor on Bimini - the female that was infected worked at the bank in Bimini. The bank is supposed to be closed until next Monday so it can be clean. It does not take 4 days to clean a very small Bank. Get the bank clean today and open it for the people on Friday.
John 4 years, 6 months ago
When they bday ‘clean’ they mean decontamination and sanitized. Most companies prefer to leave the premises unoccupied for a period of time to aid in this process.
Jim 4 years, 6 months ago
Per a National Environmental Agency, deep cleaning requires three hours after cleaned to keep premises unoccupied, not three days. Bank is essential to the people.
SP 4 years, 6 months ago
So we're opening up & easing restrictions as confirmed cases increase?
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