(Trinidad Express) The Ministry of Health advises the population that on the evening of Boxing Day, six more cases of the COVID-19 Omicron Variant of Concern were confirmed. Therefore, to date, Trinidad and Tobago has confirmed eleven cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
Three of the cases were foreign nationals aboard an international ship which has already left local waters.
Two cases were nationals with a recent history of travel.
One case is a national with no history of travel. This case is pending epidemiological investigation.
As a result of their positive COVID-19 results all patients have been isolated. The patients will remain in isolation until they meet the enhanced discharge criteria for persons with COVID-19 Variants of Concern. Additionally, contacts of the positive Omicron COVID-19 cases have been quarantined.
The presence of the Omicron variants were confirmed via gene sequencing at the laboratory of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), to date, 108 countries have confirmed cases of the Omicron Variant of Concern.
Research has suggested that this variant is more easily spread from person to person as compared to previous variants but further information is needed on its impact on persons who contract this variant.
