727 fresh COVID-19 positive cases soar in Dominica

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and New Health Investment, Dominica, has issued new COVID-19 data. The data reveals that Dominica has a total of 727 active cases of the COVID-19 virus out of this 394 cases were PCR positive and 333 cases were reported positive in rapid antigen test, with 0 death reported on the island due to COVID-19. All the active cases have been tested positive by PCR test.

From the day pandemic hit Dominica, the health department tested 35,153 people, out of which 34,426 were reported negative and 727 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 virus.

From the starting of tracing the contacts to check if they are infected or not, the government identified 12,705 contacts.

The total number of positive cases from the starting of the COVID-19 virus were 943, out of which 216 recovered now, and Dominica now has 727 active cases.

According to the report, in Dominica, 21,548 people received their first vaccine shot, and 19,887 have been fully vaccinated after getting 2 shots.

Due to increasing cases on the island, the main reason is vaccine hesitancy. As the majority of the active cases are those, who are not vaccinated.

While speaking on vaccine hesitancy, Dr Carissa F Etienne, Director of PAHO, said that small islands in the Caribbean had less bed capacity in intensive care units, along with fewer numbers of specialized doctors. The Caribbean health systems would become flooded very quickly

Dr Etienne noted that till present, over 1.1 million people in the Caribbean, holding about 15% of the people, had been fully vaccinated, according to PAHO figures. 

While showing her concern, Dr Etienne said that she doesn’t know the sources of the information that has been triggering the high level of vaccine hesitancy in the people. She urged the people living in the Caribbean to listen to the sources where they could find truthful, scientifically based information and evidence.

As proof, she said, is that of the people that are now hospitalized, in severe illness and death, more than 95% of those have not been vaccinated.”