BELIZE CITY, Mon. Apr. 6, 2020– Less than 24 hours after San Ignacio resident Hubert Pipersburgh died from COVID-19, government announced this morning that two other men from San Ignacio have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health said in its press release that it has “scaled up testing for COVID-19 and a further 26 samples were tested on Sunday, April 5.”
The press release went on to say that one of the two men who tested positive was “a contact of Patient #4 [the Ministry’s reference to the deceased Pipersburgh].”
While the Ministry of Health press release did not list the age of Patient #6, it said that, “He developed minor signs and symptoms that included diarrhea and loss of sense of smell. This patient, the sixth case, has not required medication and is currently in self-isolation at home.”
The press release went on to inform the public that another man was also swabbed and had tested positive for COVID-19.
Just as in the case with Patient #6, the age of this other infected patient was not disclosed.
This patient, however, has been hospitalized at the Western Regional Hospital and is said to be in a stable condition.
The Ministry of Health release said that the patient is being treated as “a pneumonia case.”
“Mapping exercises are currently underway for both cases,” said the press release.
The Ministry said that out of a total number of 268 tests, 7 had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Over the weekend, the Ministry of Health said it tested 128 samples and that further screening tests are anticipated, and these are contingent upon mapping exercises and enhanced surveillance activities.
In the wake of the first death in Belize from COVID-19, government also announced today, via another press release, that “The Prime Minister also advised that a technical committee comprising non-government medical personnel, both doctors and nurses, is being formed to assist the Director of Health Services and his team to map out and guide our national response.”
The Ministry of Health asked Belizeans to follow the guidelines put forward by the government in the fight to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Belize, and also to adhere to the rules of the national state of emergency.