PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Trinidad and Tobago recorded its third death in as many days from the coronavirus (COVID-19), as the death toll Monday climbed to 12 and health authorities warn of more positive cases of the virus.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Health did not provide much details on the 12

^th

 death, except to say that the adult male had pre-existing medical conditions. It said that there were now 413 active cases and the total number of positive COVID-19 cases had now reached 565.

“The number of samples submitted to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and UWI site for testing for COVID is 19 14,655, with the number of unique patient tests completed 12,438. The number of repeated tests is 2, 217,” the ministry said, adding that 13 additional people have tested positive for COVID -19 over the past 24 hours, including four in Tobago.

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Roshan Parasram, speaking at the daily press briefing said the cases here were “now widespread throughout the country”.

He made reference to a particular case in Tobago where one person had gone to a hotel there and as a “result we have identified 222 primary, secondary and tertiary contacts.

“There are 204 primary contacts from one single case. So just to give you an idea of the potential spread of this disease from one individual who does not abide by the public health guidelines,” he added.

Using a map at the briefing, Dr Parasram said there were large areas of infections in certain areas of the island and that people should not wait until the new measures outlined by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, including the mandatory wearing of masks in the public, become effective before safeguarding their own health.

“We are asking the population not to wait for the legal framework to be in place, we all need to be on board with the public health guidelines, making sure we wear our masks when we are out in public spaces, sanitise as frequently as possible, we distance ourselves …and most importantly if you are ill you need to stay at home”.

“We have seen with a number of our cases that… persons have not stayed home when they were ill and it increases greatly the risk of transmission of this disease,” the chief medical officer said, as he urged that public health guidelines are not viewed in isolation.

“They are all there to be used as armoury to fight the virus together,” he said.

Health officials said they had also noted that more young people are becoming infected with the virus.