News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Thurs. March 19, 2020: A female staffer at the Jamaica Consulate in New York has tested positive for the new coronavirus, New Americas has learnt.
The victim reportedly only recently began working at the consulate. She is a Jamaican immigrant locally recruited, but a naturalized US citizen, and is presently receiving medical treatment.
All staff have already been advised to go home or stay home as relevant, and all who had been in close contact with the staffer are being urged to self-isolate and call their doctors for guidance on their next steps. The Consul-General Alsion Roach Wilson also has to seek medical advice.
The news comes days after of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Minister Kamina Johnson Smith, announced that the consulates in NYC, Washington, D.C., and London, will be closed amid the coronavirus outbreak.
On Wednesday Minister Johnson Smith stated: “We had hoped that this day would not come, and in fact based on the massive overnight increase in numbers in New York State and Manhattan, we had already begun upgrading the protective measures already in place, to move to full closure of the Consulate. I have therefore approved immediate closure for sanitization of the office, and home quarantine of all staff for 14 days.”
She added that the entire Ministry team is praying for the staff member’s quick recovery and for the health and safety of all members who serve overseas.
The Jamaica Consulate General in Miami also announced the closure of their office amid the spread of the coronavirus in the state of Florida Wednesday.
DEATHS IN THE CARIBBEAN
The news comes as the death toll in the Caribbean rose to 7 and the number of confirmed cases reached 180 this morning.
Jamaica reported its first death Wednesday as it’s confirmed there are now 15 cases on the island. Martinique now also has one dead from the virus as does Cuba.
The Cayman Islands also reported its first death, adding to the two deaths now reported by the Dominican Republic and the first for the region by Guyana last week.
REPORTED CASES
The Dominican Republic now leads the region with 34 cases and two deaths, while Guadeloupe has 33 cases and Martinique, 23 with one death.
Here’s the count for other countries confirming COVID-19 cases to date:
Jamaica – 15 plus one death
French Guiana – 15
Cuba – 11 plus one death
Trinidad and Tobago – 9
Puerto Rico – 6
Guyana – 5 plus one death
Aruba – 4
Curacao – 3
St. Barths – 3
Bahamas – 3
USVI – 3
Saint Martin – 3
Barbados -2
Bermuda – 2
St. Lucia – 2
USVI – 2
Antigua & Barbuda – 1
Bahamas – 1
Cayman Islands – 1
St. Vincent and the Grenadines – 1
Suriname – 1
Montserrat – 1
Sint Maarten – 1
CORONAVIRUS FREE NATIONS
The only coronavirus free nations in the Caribbean currently are:
Haiti
Belize
Grenada
Turks & Caicos
British Virgin Islands
Bonaire
Globally, there are now 218,558 cases and 8,940 deaths.
