Barbados now has 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Leaders of the Caribbean Community state have appealed to citizens not to panic, but to follow the guidelines being outlined by health officials.
The number of cases is more than double the six confirmed cases the country had on record up to yesterday.
Health and Wellness Minister, retired Lt. Col Jeffrey Bostic said seven of the new cases were as a result of contact tracing. The other person who tested positive is a visitor.
Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago’s Health Minister, Terrence Deyalsingh said the number of people who have tested positive for the disease jumped to 49 after confirming that 40 of the 68 persons who had been placed in quarantine after going a cruise, had tested positive for the virus.
Bostic said he was urging Barbadians to have confidence in the health care system, noting “the sector is strong, it is good, we have people who can get the job done.”
“I will say to Barbadians that naturally the numbers will continue to rise, but that is primarily because of the work that has to be done and is being done by public health officials to ensure that we get all of those persons who might have had direct contact with confirmed cases…so that we can manage the situation,”Bostic said.
He reiterated that once the health authorities are able to implement various measures, the figures will rise a bit “and the time will come when we will be able to contain the situation and that is the level we are at now.”
He continued: “I can say to Barbadians to remain calm, follow the instructions of public health officials and the PSA’s (public service announcements) by the ministry, the Government Information Service and other reputable organisations and to join us in this effort by doing exactly what we ask you to do….”
Acting chief medical officer Dr Anton Best said the new cases comprised nine women and five men who contracted the coronavirus, which causes the disease, locally.
“A number of the cases that have tested posted have no travel history and are associated with cases that have been imported”.
Health officials said that as a result, Barbados has moved into stage two of its preparedness plans
COVID-19 has infected more close to 300,000 people worldwide and killed more than 12,000 people, since it was first detected in China last December.
