Even as overall COVID-19 numbers are declining, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Friday sounded a warning over a “worrying increase” in infections in Region Six and the severity of the cases.
During his daily COVID-19 update, Anthony stated that there were over 1,500 active cases countrywide, which marked an overall national decline in infections. “While we have this national decline we are also seeing that in some regions there have been an increase,” he, however, said, while singling out Region Six as an example.
Anthony also mentioned that it appears that health authorities are seeing persons with more severe forms of the disease as there were 11 deaths in the region for October, while 12 fatalities were reported in the region this month. There has also been a continuous rise in cases in the region from August to present.
Anthony indicated that this has the authorities thinking of increasing the emergency measures in the region. “So this is worrying and I think what this is pointing to that we really need to increase the measures that we have there,” he said, while observing that some persons are also not getting vaccinated or taking the social distancing and mask wearing measures as seriously as they should.
Anthony added that similar situations are being seen in other regions even as there has been a decline in cases in regions Three and Four that has greatly contributed to the fall of the national numbers.
Meanwhile, Anthony also noted that there were 15 persons hospitalised in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit. This, he added, highlights that there are still severely ill patients in the country’s facilities. “This is something, I think that as numbers come down I think people are getting too complacent but we are still getting persons who would have the severe form of COVID and come to the hospital,” Anthony said.
