Health Agency Upgrades Coronavirus Risk to Caribbean From Low to 'Moderate to High'

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Trinidad-based Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has upgraded the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) disease transmission from low, to “moderate to high” even as there has been no confirmed case of the disease that killed nearly 3,000 people in several countries mainly in China and South Korea. CARPHA said that transmission of the virus has been reported in territories with direct flights to Caribbean States. CARPHA Executive Director, Dr. Joy St. John is urging health authorities of member states (CMS) to shift their mind set from preparedness to readiness and rapid response and continue to do all that is necessary to strengthen their capacity to respond to possible importation of cases. She is also encouraging member states to increase their capacity for surveillance and to adapt their national pandemic preparedness plans to this current situation with COVID-19, as a matter of urgency. As of Friday, there has been 83,704 cases of patients with...