40 COVID-19 cases confirmed at Camp Balandra – Trinidad

There has been a stunning new development in Trinidad and Tobago’s effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh this morning revealed that health officials had confirmed 40 new cases among the 68 people quarantined at Camp Balandra.

The 40 were among those who were on the cruise ship docked off Guadeloupe for several days before Government chartered an aircraft to bring all 68 home on Tuesday.

The cruise ship was denied permission to dock after multiple passengers, not Trinidadians, were confirmed with COVID-19.

The group were moved from the aircraft, onto buses and taken in a convoy to the secured camp on Trinidad’s north east coast.

On Thursday, all were swabbed to be tested.

Before that, several fell ill with fever, cough, and lethargy.

Several of those there are elderly.

Between 9p.m and 10p.m. on Thursday, the tests results came back.

The 40 have been moved to the Couva Hospital, and there is no risk of community Spread.

The cruise ship passengers have hired senior counsel Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, Deyalsingh disclosed. He did not say why.

Regarding the 28 people at Balandra, that facility was properly sanitised, testing would resume on these people.

As of Friday, there were nine confirmed cases, all imported, which meant none were spread from person to person in Trinidad and Tobago.

The new cases are also considered ‘imported’.