Jamaica records three COVID-19 deaths, 224 new positives
Sept. 1, 2020
KINGSTON, Jamaica. Tuesday, September 1, 2020: It is with regret that the Ministry of Health and Wellness reports the passing of three additional persons due to COVID-19. There have also been 224 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry extends its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased. The deceased are an 88-year-old male from Clarendon who died on August 28; a 73-year-old male, also from Clarendon, who died on August 30; and a 79-year-old male from St. Elizabeth who died on September 1. All three persons had underlying conditions, notably Parkinson’s disease, hypertension, alcoholism, and diabetes. They bring to 24 the total number of COVID-19-related deaths on the island.
NEW CASES
The 224 new positives bring to 2,683 the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases for the island. Of the 224 newly confirmed positives, 119 are females and 95 are males. The sex classification of 10 of the new cases is under investigation. They range in age from two (2) years to 87 years and have addresses in Kingston and St. Andrew (81), St. Catherine (51), Clarendon (17), St. Thomas (15), St. Mary (4), Portland (28), Trelawny (4), St. James (12), Manchester (5), Westmoreland (1), and Hanover (6). Five (5) of the new cases are contacts of confirmed cases and 219 are under investigation.
At this time, there are 456 imported cases; 650 cases that are contacts of confirmed cases; 236 cases related to the workplace cluster in St. Catherine; 242 that are local transmissions (not epidemiologically linked), and 1,099 are under investigation.
Some 1,472 (55%) of the total confirmed cases for the island are females and 1,198 (45%) are males. The sex classification of 13 cases is under investigation. The ages of all confirmed cases range from 13 days to 97 years.
Also in the last 24 hours, there have been eight new recoveries, bringing the island’s total recoveries to 898 (34%). There are currently 1,686 (62.8%) active cases being monitored, including six critically ill persons and 13 who are moderately ill.
In addition to the 24 (0.9%) persons who have died, some 71 (2.7%) persons have returned to their countries of origin while there has been one case of a coincidental death of a COVID-19 positive person. Three additional deaths are under investigation.
The Ministry urges members of the public to take every precaution to avoid COVID-19 infection. Specific infection prevention and control measures to practice include: maintaining a six-feet physical distance from others; wearing a mask while out in public; frequently washing hands with soap and water; and strictly adhering to quarantine orders.