Two more COVID deaths; hospital numbers increase

COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Jamaica, bringing the total deaths this week to nine and 273 overall, since the disease arrived on Jamaica's shores in March. 

The Ministry of Health and Wellness reports that the two fatalities were previously reported as being investigated. The victims are a 61 year-old man and a 79 year-old woman, both from St Catherine. 

There is one new death under investigation and a total of 29 being probed.

The number of people in hospital have risen to 92 from 84, with a dozen people now deemed critically ill- five more than reported yesterday, and 11, up from eight, are now experiencing moderate effects of the disease. 

There were 102 new cases of COVID-19, the majority of which were confirmed in St Ann, where 24 people tested positive in the past day. Westmoreland followed with 15 new cases; Manchester 13; Kingston and St Andrew and St Catherine with 10 new cases each; and St James nine. Clarendon, Hanover, Portland and St Thomas each had four new cases; Trelawny three, and St Elizabeth and St Mary one case each. 

The new cases bring the overall infections since March to 11,710, but the ministry reported that 105 people recovered in the past day, which means the total number of persons who have now recovered is 7,954. That leaves the country with 3,329 active cases of COVID-19. 

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