Dominica reports 361 fresh positive COVID-19 cases

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 361 active cases of the COVID-19 virus, 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 22,842 people, out of which 22,481 were reported negative and 576 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 1893 contacts. Now 255 persons are quarantined.

The total number of positive cases from the starting of the COVID-19 virus was 576, out of which 215 recovered now, and Dominica now has 361 active cases.

According to the report, in Dominica, 21,063 people received their first vaccine shot, and 19,732 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.”