Region records COVID-19 variant cases

“We have been searching for several variants…However, the variants of concern are the UK, South African and we are also looking for the Brazil variant because there are some unsettling things happening in Brazil right now in terms of spread. But I can tell you that we have only detected the variant of concern, the UK variant,” Dr. Joy St John told Barbados TODAY.

(Barbados Today) The region’s main public health laboratory today confirmed that the deadly United Kingdom variant of the COVID-19 virus has now spread across the Caribbean chain from Jamaica in the north to Trinidad and Tobago in the south.

Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) Dr Joy St John said the evidence came to light following tests carried out on samples recently sent to the Port of Spain-based laboratory by several member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

While Dr St John declined to name Barbados as one of the states which has the variant, the Government has already publicly said it had sent samples to CARPHA to determine if the new strain was here.

Against the backdrop of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and more recently St Lucia announcing the presence of the variant, the regional public health executive said it was for the affected countries to make the announcements on their status regarding the newest strain.

Read more at: Barbados Today