35 COVID cases in two days

Thirty-five COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Jamaica in just two days, the latest batch being 19 persons who tested positive on Monday.

The total number of confirmed positives brings Jamaica's COVID-19 tally thus far to 809.

Some 706 persons have recovered from the respiratory illness, which has claimed more than 613,000 lives worldwide and infected 14.8 million persons.

Ten persons have died from the illness in Jamaica.

The health ministry said that there are now 63 active persons currently under observation in hospital, with two persons moderately ill. There are no critically ill cases at this time.

Airport was reopened

Jamaica had 589 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on June 1, the day on which the country's airport was reopened to incoming passenger travel.

At the time of the reopening, the government said that there was a risk of the country's COVID-19 numbers climbing due to the return of persons who contracted the virus overseas.

The 19 cases yesterday are comprised of 11 females and eight males, with ages ranging from three to 70 years.

They are of addresses in Kingston and St Andrew (seven), St Catherine (four), St Mary and Trelawny with two, while St Elizabeth, St Ann, St James, and Clarendon all reported one case each.

Of these new cases, 13 were imported from the US, five were contacts of confirmed cases and one remains under investigation.

The MOHW said that Jamaica now has 278 imported cases; 246 cases are contacts of confirmed cases; 44 are local transmission cases not epidemiologically linked; 236 are related to the workplace cluster in St Catherine; and five are under investigation.

Some 32,053 persons have been tested, with 31,176 negatives, with 68 pending.