The Ministry of Health and Social Development has finally confirmed the gender and ages of the seven COVID-related deaths which have been recorded so far this year in the British Virgin Islands.
According to the information from the ministry which was presented in a media release on Wednesday January 26, all seven of the individuals were above 60 years of age at the time of their passing.
The ministry said “the deceased are a 90-year-old female who died on January 2, a 62-year-old female who died on January 3, an 84-year-old female who died on January 5, a 74-year-old male who died on January 7, a 78-year-old male who died on January 7, a 95-year-old male who died on January 11 and an 86-year-old male who died on January 24.”
Minister for Health and Social Development Carvin Malone expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased on behalf of the government.
He said, “This wave of the virus is severely impacting our seniors and immune-compromised persons according to the data. Omicron is a milder form of the disease but it is enhancing the vulnerability of older persons with chronic diseases to more severe disease, hospitalisation and death with COVID.”
“We continue to urge the persons, especially our most vulnerable, to get vaccinated or boosted as vaccination remains our best option to fight this disease,” he added.
Minister Malone also encouraged residents to remain vigilant, warning that while other countries across the world continue to relax COVID-19 measures, the BVI is still not out of the woods.
The BVI has recorded a total of 49 COVID-related deaths since the advent of the novel coronavirus.
According to the BVI’s latest COVID-19 statistics, the active positive cases in the territory now stands at 397, with 12 hospitalisations.