BELIZE CITY, Mon. Nov. 2, 2020– The number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase each day. Latest reports from the Office Of The Director of Health Services (DHS) has announced that 47 new cases were found within a batch of 176 samples that were tested — a 26.7% positivity rate. Over the past few days, we have seen a series of reports of deaths related to COVID-19 as well. More than 4 persons died on October 29 due to COVID-19, a record high for a single day. The death toll is currently 59.
The majority of active cases are still concentrated in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts, areas that are notorious for border jumping and illegal crossings. In Orange Walk, 367 cases remain active, followed by Corozal, with 335, and Belize with 266 active cases. The Cayo District currently has 172 active cases, and Toledo recorded 99. The Stann Creek District had 62 cases, and on Ambergris Caye, 34 cases are still active. These numbers were reported on November 2, 2020.
A total of 59 COVID-19-related deaths have been recorded since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As mentioned, four deaths were recorded on October 29 — two males and two females. The first male person was hospitalized for about 12 hours and had an underlying medical condition.
The second, a 70-year-old man, also had pre-existing conditions and died at a private facility in Belize City. Of the two females who passed away, one woman reportedly died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital’s COVID-19 unit and the second woman was swabbed during a post-mortem exam after she had passed away, and was found to be infected with the virus.
On October 29, 121 new cases of the virus were found, from 415 samples that were tested. Corozal had 47 cases, 11 of which were found in the town, while the others are distributed across the district. Twenty new cases were found in Orange Walk. In the Belize District, 27 new cases were found on that day and 23 in Cayo; 1 was found in Stann Creek, and 3 in Toledo. A total of 51 persons recovered on that day.
Two more deaths were reported on October 30. One person was intubated at the KHMH, but died. A second male person with pre-existing conditions was diagnosed during a post-mortem, and his demise was considered a sudden death. On that day, eighty new cases were identified, from 252 samples, Corozal had 23 new cases, and 20 were found in Orange Walk and in Belize as well. Stann Creek had 1 new case and Toledo recorded 2.
On October 31, one person, a female in her 40’s, died in San Ignacio as a result of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health has been actively following clusters among the banana farm workers in the south and in three workplaces in Belize City. Twenty-five new cases were identified on October 31. Of those new cases, 1 was found in Corozal, 2 in Orange Walk, 3 in the Belize District, 4 in Cayo, and 16 in Stann Creek. Twelve cases were recorded as recovered.
Hospitalizations related to COVID-19 are also increasing at the KHMH and the Northern Regional Hospital as well. Eight persons were reportedly hospitalized at both facilities on November 1. On that day, 90 new cases were found from 386 samples. 31 of those new cases were found in Orange Walk, and 16 were found in Stann Creek and the Belize District respectively. Cayo and Corozal had 8 new cases and in Toledo, 11 were found. 47 recoveries were recorded.
As mentioned, November 2 numbers show 47 new cases — 15 in Orange Walk, 11 in Cayo, 9 in Corozal, and 2 in Toledo. Two persons are still intubated at the KHMH’s COVID-19 unit.