13 Confirmed Cases Of COVID-19

Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, has reported that there are now 13 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) on the island, one more than the figure given on Monday (March 16).

“Today we received five test results, and of the five results, one is confirmed to be COVID-19 and four are negative, which brings the number to 13 positive cases,” he said, adding that 11 more cases are to be tested between today and tomorrow (March 18).

As it relates to the latest case, Dr. Tufton explained that the person has been linked to Patient One, thereby justifying the Government’s decision to quarantine the Seven and Eight Miles communities in Bull Bay, Kingston, where Patient One had stayed.

The Minister, who was updating the nation on the Government’s efforts to combat COVID-19, at a press briefing held at Jamaica House in Kingston on Tuesday (March 17), also provided further statistics on the cases related to the disease.

Besides the 13 confirmed cases, he noted that 27 persons are in quarantine in a government facility, 52 are in home quarantine and 26 persons are in isolation in a government facility.

The persons who are in home quarantine, however, do not include the residents of Seven and Eight Miles.