BELIZE CITY, Sun. Aug. 16, 2020– An additional 68 positive cases of COVID-19 were detected by the Ministry of Health over this past weekend. This brings the total number of cases in the country to 456 as of August 16, 2020.
On Saturday, August 15, 257 samples were processed and a total of 64 cases were identified, and on Sunday, August 16, 4 new cases were found. According to data shared for Friday, August 14, 32 new cases were found in 172 samples that day.
Currently, 4 COVID-19 patients are being treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital: 2 persons remain on ventilation support and two others are receiving treatment in an isolated area of the hospital.
Since Friday, two persons who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.
It has also been noted that among the persons who were listed as being infected with COVID-19 in the most recent breakdown of cases are 3 field officers who were involved in the Ministry of Health’s contact tracing and mapping exercises.
Of the cases found on Saturday, 3 were in the Stann Creek District, 11 in Cayo, 11 in Orange Walk and an additional 13 in the Belize District, excluding San Pedro, which recorded 26 new cases.
The Office of the Director of Health Services outlined that the cases recently found in Stann Creek are members of a family from a single household.
In Belize City, 4 of the new cases are linked to previously identified cases, while others are being traced for any possible link.
In Orange Walk, most of the new cases have emerged in Yo Creek, Guinea Grass, San Jose Palmar, August Pine Ridge, and Santa Elena.
In the Cayo District, new cases were found in Belmopan, Benque Viejo, San Jose Succotz, Bullet Tree, Duck Run, and Santa Elena. Testing will continue on Monday, since the teams from the Central Medical Laboratory are preparing a new batch of samples to process.
The DIrector of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero, urges all Belizeans to take all necessary precautions to remain safe while adjusting to the new norms and advised that updated numbers will be shared as they become available.