Five more dead from COVID, bringing week's total to 26; PM to address nation
Published:Sunday | February 28, 2021 | 10:27 AM
Five people died from COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the number deaths from the disease last week alone to 26, as the country continues to grapple with a surge in cases of the infectious and deadly disease.
Overall 422 people have died since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Jamaica on March 10 last year.
The five latest victims are:
- Two women, ages 49 and 64 from Kingston and St Andrew
- A 43 year-old woman from St Mary
- A 58 year-old woman from Trelawny
- A 54 year-old man from St Elizabeth
Today's Clinical Management Summary posted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, shows there were 446 new cases of the disease across the country yesterday, pushing the total confirmed cases in the past year to 23,263.
There are 252 people hospitalised, 22 of whom are critically ill and 20 are experiencing moderate symptoms.
Active cases of COVID-19 have now increased to 9,209, or nearly by 14 per cent since last Sunday.
The Corporate Area continues to account for the majority of new cases, with 195 confirmed yesterday. St Catherine had 78, St James 64, Clarendon 18, St Ann 17 and St Thomas and Westmoreland each recorded 15 new cases. St Elizabeth recorded 13 new cases; Hanover and Manchester recorded nine each; St Mary eight and Trelawny five. Portland was the only parish that did record new cases of COVID-19.
Responding to calls for him to speak frontally to the burgeoning cases, vaccine delay and matters relating to the security of the JAMCOVID website, Prime Minister Andrew Holness is set to address Jamaicans in a press conference this afternoon at 5:00 p.m. He's also expected to address matters pertaining to the country's increased wave of crime and violence, and the controversy over the demolition of houses on former sugar lands.
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