A Dip in COVID Numbers?

Melissa Diaz-Musa

Even though the number of new COVID infection is in the triple digits daily, there seems to be a slight dip in the overall infection rate.  There are now more recoveries than infections.  Deputy Regional Health Manager for the Central Health Region, Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa said that while the infection rate varies from district to district, the numbers are gradually reducing, particularly in the Belize District.

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Central Health Region

“It depends on the district, but with regards to the Belize District we were at a height of four, five hundred cases a day in the latter part of January and over the past week we noticed these numbers going down to two hundred, one sixty and our positivity rate is also fluctuating per district. But the national positivity rate is between twenty and twenty-eight percent at this time.”

Marion Ali

“Which would mean we’re on the verge of seeing an overall reduction countrywide?”

Dr. Melissa Diaz-Musa

“Well yes, we notice that the recoveries now have, like you quite likely said – it’s more now than the number of cases detected. It’s pretty early. We’re only at this trend for a few days and we don’t want to be too hasty to say that this is definitely how it’s going. But we also have noticed at our testing sites in the Belize District that the number of people who are coming in who are symptomatic are also less. So prior to a week and a half ago, we were having hundreds of persons being tested at each site and now we’re seeing that number reduced to fifty, sixty persons at each site with the Civic Centre staying steadily above a hundred persons going there for regular testing. So for the Belize District, yes we are seeing a decline in numbers but nationally we’ve got to continue to monitor the other districts and to see what the trend will be over the next week or so.”