COVID-19 numbers going down in The Bahamas
Health
Minister Renward Wells has expressed satisfaction with the rapid decline in
COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas, which he said is due to the government’s action and the diligent and hard work of the
healthcare sector, as well as the adherence of protocols by Bahamians.
“We note
that there has been a reduction in the average number of cases from
approximately 90 cases per day down to 45 cases per day over the past week,”
Wells said in a statement.
“Over the
past two days, we have recorded 21 and 24 cases per day respectively. It is noted that this reduction is by no
means a result of a decrease in the number of tests performed,” he said, adding
that the National Testing Protocol has not changed.
He
continued: “Our experience has been that predominantly those who are
symptomatic present for testing. Contacts of positive cases are tested only if
they become symptomatic.”
Wells said
that at the height of the second wave of the virus, the Hubert Minnis
government took “direct and decisive action”, including curfews.
He said the
positivity rate over the past two weeks has declined from 32 to 12 per cent and
that a higher percentage suggests a higher transmission of the virus.
“Hence, a
lower percentage suggests that the rate of transmission has been reduced by one
third. The WHO (World Health
Organisation) recommends that the positivity rate remains below five per cent. All
indicators being monitored by the Ministry of Health point to success in
mitigating the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Wells said
that the Ministry of Health has engaged more than 111 contract tracers, up from
31 at the start of October.
In addition,
he said hospitalisations among persons testing positive for COVID-19 have
reduced dramatically and that as of Sunday, 85 persons with COVID-19 were
hospitalised across the archipelago – down from the high of 122 on October 22.
The Bahamas
has recorded 6,735 positive cases of the virus with 4,493 being active. It has
recorded 146 deaths.
