THE Ministry of Health is confirming a seventh case of the Covid-19 Delta variant of concern.
In a press release on Saturday, the ministry stated that the patient is a recently returned national who travelled to Trinidad from Turks and Caicos transiting through Florida.
As per existing quarantine protocols, the national provided a negative PCR test which was taken 72-hours prior to arrival. The national was immediately placed into state-supervised quarantine, as per the protocol for unvaccinated adults.
As a result of the positive Covid-19 results from their seventh day swab, the person was subsequently transferred and isolated in a state step-down facility. The patient remained in isolation until the enhanced discharge criteria for persons with Covid-19 Variants of Concern was achieved.
The presence of the Delta variant was confirmed via gene sequencing at the laboratory of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, the ministry stated.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been confirmed cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19 in 174 countries.
The Ministry of Health is reminding the public that research has suggested that the Delta variant is more easily spread from person to person as compared to previous variants and that evidence indicates that individuals who have contracted this variant may be prone to an increased risk of severe illness and hospitalisation.
The variant may also lead to an increase in cases of Covid-19 in younger age groups and in those who have been previously infected.
The population is once again being advised to get vaccinated and adhere to all health protocols.
