THERE continues to be an increase in the positivity of Covid-19 in Trinidad and Tobago.
There was an increase of eight percent in cases over the last week.
This is according to Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards at the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 presser on Wednesday.
She said there has been an increase from 25% to 33% between last week to today.
Dr Abdool-Richards also said there was an overall occupancy of 39% in hospitals with a decrease in the occupancy levels.
However, she also noted that there has been a steady increase in the rolling average of Covid-19 positivity levels and warned members of the population to not be fooled by the hospital occupancy levels.
She said, “We are asking members of the population to not be lulled into complacency and a feeling of complacency because you are seeing a slow and steady decline in the hospital occupancies.”
Dr Abdool-Richards also stated that the current levels of occupancy for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was 78% at present with 76% in Trinidad and 100% in Tobago and the High Dependency Unit (HDU) occupancy was at 32%.
She said that the reasons for these high ICU and HDU occupancy levels are due to persons presenting symptoms late and contacting the ambulance services when in severe respiratory distress, persons with pre-existing medical conditions and the variant which they have as the Brazilian variant is well established in Trinidad and Tobago and leads to higher infection rates.
Dr Abdool-Richards also said that the ministry has noted an increase in the number of positive cases and overall occupancy levels in Tobago and that the ministry has been in collaboration with the Tobago House of Assembly for further developments.
Dr Abdool-Richards in closing said, “In order to prevent or reduce this increase in cases we continue to ask members of the population to please accept the vaccine at anyone of our 109 health centres, six mass vaccination sites, and six of the sites in partnership with the private sector.”
