BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Barbados became the second Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country on Saturday to announce a significant increase in the number of persons testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19) and appealed to nationals not to panic but follow the guidelines being outlined by health officials.

Health and Wellness Minister, retired Lt Col Jeffrey Bostic, said that the island now had 14 positive cases of the virus up from six on Friday and that seven of the new cases were as a result of contact tracing. The other person who tested positive is a visitor.

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the number of people who tested positive for the virus jumped to 49 after confirming that 40 of the 68 persons who had been placed in quarantine after undertaking a cruise ship tour had tested positive for the virus.

Bostic said he was urging Barbadians to have confidence in the health care system, noting “the sector is strong, it is good, we have people who can get the job done”.

“I will say to Barbadians that naturally the numbers will continue to rise, but that is primarily because of the work that has to be done and is being done by public health officials to ensure that we get all of those persons who might have had direct contact with confirmed cases…so that we can manage the situation.”

He reiterated that once the health authorities are able to implement the various measures, the figures will rise a bit “and the time will come when we will be able to contain the situation and that is the level we are at now”.