This situation update is on the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) reported cases and deaths, Globally, Regionally, for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean Countries, French Territories and the United Kingdom Overseas Territories.

The most effective way to prevent infections and save lives is breaking the chains of transmission. To do that, you must test and isolate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to recommend that people who are contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases, be quarantined for 14 days from the last time they were exposed to a COVID-19 patient. This is because people infected with COVID-19 can still infect others after they stop feeling sick, WHO has recommended that people infected with COVID-19 isolate themselves for 2 weeks after they stop feeling sick.

There is currently no strong data to suggest that people living with HIV (PLHIV) are at a higher risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 or developing more severe COVID-19 if they do acquire it, especially if their immune system is not compromised, although people with underlying conditions and a weaker immune system may be most vulnerable to COVID-19 infection.

Updates:

Global – 512,701 confirmed cases, 23,495 deaths in 201 countries, areas or territories.

PAHO – Region of the Americas – 100,314 confirmed cases, 1,485 deaths in 51 countries, areas or territories

Yesterday, six (6) new cases were recorded in Barbados.