52 New Cases of COVID-19!

Marvin Manzanero

Turning to the latest COVID numbers, fifty-two new positive cases were identified today.  The infographic shared by the Ministry of Health shows that a total of two hundred and sixty-three samples were processed of which fifty-two returned positive.  Three of the cases are in the Corozal District, while the Cayo District recorded five more cases. Seven cases were identified in Caye Caulker while Ladyville and Belize City recorded one additional case each. The Orange Walk District recorded the highest number today with thirty-five new cases. Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero says that the infographic will be presented after midday every day to allow health officials time to inform all those who are positive.

Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services

“One thing we went through yesterday Hipolito we are usually doing now two or three cycles. There are changes in terms of protocols and guidelines that are ongoing as we review the current data. One thing we noticed is that for the most part the third batch of samples that are process usually come out around seven or eight. Then you have to be calling people the positive at least to reach them before we can reach any infographic. I think it is right that they are informed first even though our infographic makes no indication who are the potential positives I think it is important we tell. We don’t routinely reach out to the negatives. We have been delayed in that in that response. Shifting around some of our staff, what we have done is assigned two persons now to reach out via phone with the negative results because the process becomes too late at night to be handling those results and hen coming back to review the data. We had decide what we will do is to go ahead to call out the persons who are positive on the day when we get the results. We are now looking at presenting the data around midday every day.”

Hipolito Novelo

“There seems to be an increase of number of cases in Orange Walk, is that a concern?”

Dr. Marvin Manzanero

 “Recall that we had anticipated that the clusters would have spread out in Orange Walk and of course the document situation already in San Pedro. We are also ding tests n San Pedro. I know it is not as quickly as people would want but we are still doing that. We are also started doing testing for people for the first cycle of San Pedro when the cases started to erupt there. Yesterday samples some were processed, but none has been recovered case.”