
Eight people have died across seven Caribbean islands as confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak climb in the region on Thursday (March 19).
As at 1:14 pm Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT) confirmed cases of COVID-19 jumped significantly over the 24-hour period—from 141 on Wednesday (March 18) to 178 currently.
Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Curaçao confirmed coronavirus-related deaths on Wednesday, joining Guyana, Cayman Islands and Martinique as regional countries and territories that have had patients succumb to the disease.
See the Caribbean breakdown of confirmed COVID-19 cases:
Dominican Republic: 13 new cases; 34 confirmed. Two patients have died.
Guadeloupe: Six new cases; 33 confirmed.
Martinique: Four new cases; 23 confirmed. One patient has died.
Jamaica: Two new cases; 15 confirmed. One patient has died.
French Guiana: Four new cases; 15 confirmed.
Cuba: Four new cases; 11 confirmed. One patient has died.
Trinidad and Tobago: Two new cases; nine confirmed.
Puerto Rico: One new case; six confirmed.
Guyana: One new case; five cases confirmed. One patient has died.
Aruba: One new case; four confirmed.
Curaçao: No new cases; three confirmed. One patient has died.
The Bahamas: Two new cases; three confirmed.
St Martin: No new cases; three confirmed.
US Virgin Islands: One new case; three confirmed.
Bermuda: Two new cases confirmed.
Barbados: No new cases; two confirmed.
St Lucia: No new cases; two confirmed.
Cayman Islands: No new cases; one confirmed. One patient has died.
Antigua and Barbuda: No new cases: one confirmed.
Monserrat: No new cases; one confirmed.
St Vincent and the Grenadines: No new cases; one confirmed.
Sint Maarten: One new case confirmed.
Out of the remaining Caribbean countries and territories, only Belize, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and Grenada have no cases of the novel coronavirus.