Dominica: 41 more test COVID-19 positive, two critical

The Ministry of Health Wellness and New Health Investment of Dominica on Saturday stated that 41 more individuals tested coronavirus positive on 11 November 2021. The additional cases brought the total active cases to 373.

National Epidemiologist Dr Shalauddin Ahmed stated that 39 people tested positive in Antigen COVID-19 testing while the remaining 2 underwent RT-PCR.

Dr Shalauddin Ahmed said out of the 41 patients, two patients are critical, while 18 are experiencing moderate symptoms and the remaining have mild or no symptoms.

The majority of positive patients fall under the age group of 18 to 59, mainly male candidates and only 44% female patients.

He said 4868 people recovered in Dominica from coronavirus since March 2020, while around 35 people succumbed to the pandemic in the country.

Discussing Dominica's COVID-19 vaccination drive, Dr Ahmed said 53.4% of the target population (53,281 people) took at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, while 49.3% are now fully vaccinated.

Dr Ahmed said people must take note of the situation and adhere to health protocols to ensure their own safety. He advised the general public to frequently wash their hands, keep mostly touched surfaces clean, wear a face mask, maintain physical distancing, and stay away from people who have flu-like symptoms.

He said any person with flu-like symptoms must not visit COVID-19 testing centres, and must call on the COVID-19 helpline numbers to seek help. He also encouraged the vulnerable to get vaccinated against the virus for immunity.