Latest COVID-related deaths include individuals between 20-74 years old
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Health officials confirmed 12 COVID-related deaths between July 20 and August 7, bringing the number of COVID deaths in the country to 307, with another 38 under investigation.
Those deaths have come amidst an uptick in COVID-19 cases over the past month.
The latest confirmed COVID-19 fatalities included individuals ranging from the age of 20 years old to 74 years old.
There were 169 new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Sunday, taking the number of cases in the country to 15,794 with 2,500 active.
The healthcare system continues to be burdened, with hospitalizations well over capacity at 129 cases, 114 of whom are moderately ill and the other 15 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
On Thursday, there were 228 COVID-19 cases in The Bahamas, marking the highest number of cases recorded in a single day since the start of the pandemic.
The Ministry of Health partially attributed the striking number to the recent Emancipation Day holiday on August 2, noting members of the public may have delayed getting tested for the virus as laboratories would have been closed on that day.
“The ministry has observed that this often results in an uptick in the number of confirmed cases reported days following a holiday,” it said.
Minister of Health Renward Wells had previously indicated rising cases were a result of the Independence Day holiday, which saw new coronavirus cases climb to the triple digits for the first time within weeks.
Officials have continually said the only way to get the pandemic under control is to ensure everyone is vaccinated.
As of August 7, some 108,506 doses of the vaccines have been administered, of which 62,863 people have received the first dose and 47,580 people are fully vaccinated. That number includes residents who got fully vaccinated abroad and who have registered with the ministry.
