T&T records two cases of the Delta variant
On Wednesday, Trinidad and Tobago health authorities confirmed that the country had registered two cases of the Delta variant of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
The Ministry of Health said that the first patient is a recently returned national who travelled to Trinidad from the United States. In contrast, the second patient had arrived after travelling from Mexico, transiting through Panama and Guyana.
It noted that the presence of these Delta variants confirmed via gene sequencing at the laboratory of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI) and that the public is aware, this laboratory has been testing COVID-19 positive samples from Trinidad and Tobago and other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states since September last year.
Since re-opening its borders on July 16, the ministry said that Trinidad and Tobago had updated its quarantine protocols for persons entering the country.
It said that these protocols state that all returning adults, who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19, should spend 14 days in a State-supervised quarantine facility, adding that these entry protocols will continue to be implemented.
“As per existing quarantine protocols, the nationals provided negative PCR tests, which took 72-hours before arrival. The nationals were 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 persons were subsequently transferred and isolated in a state step-down facility,” the ministry said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there have been confirmed cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in 142 countries.
Research has suggested that the Delta variant is more easily spread from person to person than previous variants (estimated to be two to four times more transmissible than the original Wuhan lineage of the virus).
Additionally, the ministry said evidence indicates that individuals who have contracted this variant may be prone to an increased risk of severe illness and hospitalization.
“This 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 Ministry of Health takes this opportunity to remind the population of the importance of being vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus as soon as possible.”
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