There Are Now Almost 18,000 Coronavirus Cases In Just 5 Caribbean Countries

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Mon. May 18, 2020: Five Caribbean countries continued to show an uptick in coronavirus cases Sunday to reach 17,906, according to a News Americas analysis. But there is good news as well as the countries reported no new deaths Sunday.

The Dominican Republic continues to show increases in confirmed cases daily and remains the epicenter of the virus in the region. On Sunday, it reached a new high of 12,314 cases, an increase by 204. But it was the first time in weeks that the country saw no new deaths, some good news, as its death toll remained at 428.

Puerto Rico added another 47 cases Sunday to reach 2,542 confirmed cases. But the US Caribbean territory also reported no new deaths as its death toll remained at 122.

Cuba also reported no new deaths Sunday amid a ramped-up island wide effort to battle the pandemic. But it added another new 10 cases to reach 1,872 nationally.

Jamaica also continued to uptick, adding another 6 new cases Sunday to reach 517. But the island’s death toll has remained steady for over a week at 9. The news comes as The country’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, said Sunday that he has given no formal approval for any vessel to be granted permission for the disembarking of any person from cruise ships in any of the ports in Jamaica.

His comment came as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s ‘Adventure of the Seas’, departed the Dominican Republic on Saturday after disembarking its nationals in La Romana and aims to drop off 1,044 Jamaican ship workers in Trelawney today, May 18, 2020.

Haiti, meanwhile, reached 456 cases Sunday, adding a whopping 98 but no new deaths as well, while Barbados increased to 88 cases, adding two more Sunday though no new deaths were reported as well.