With Trinidad and Tobago now recording 49 cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the Caribbean country has closed all borders, effective midnight tonight.

T&T Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh revealed yesterday that the 40 new imported cases were among 68 people quarantined at Camp Balandra on Trinidad’s north-east coast. They were among those on a cruise ship docked off the coast of Guadeloupe for several days before the Government chartered an aircraft to bring all 68 home on Tuesday.

Barbados is now reporting 14 cases – nine women and five men. Eight new cases were confirmed by Health Minister Colonel Jeffrey Bostic yesterday.

He said seven of the new cases were as a result of contact tracing. The other person who tested positive is a visitor.

The Dominican Republic also reported 40 new cases, pushing the total there to 112. There have been three COVID-19-related deaths in that country.