Twenty one people have died from covid-19 since the start of 2024. Four additional deaths have been recorded as a result of influenza, resulting in 25 deaths from respiratory illnesses in T&T since the start of 2024. The health ministry said, in it’s March 01st update that 12 people were hospitalised at the San Fernando General Hospital and the Couva Hospital & Multi-Training Facility. In 2023, there were 64 deaths from covid19 over the same period, with 765 recorded in 2022 and 519 in 2021.
The ministry received confirmation of local transmission of the JN.1 sub-variant category, was detected in Trinidad and Tobago on January 18. The JN.1 sub-variant, a descendant of the omicron variant, is the dominant variant across the world.
While the Ministry continues to actively pursue the acquisition of covid19 vaccines to date, 39,450 influenza vaccines have been administered and continues to urge the population, particularly the immunocompromised and the vulnerable to get vaccinated. Influenza vaccines are available free of charge at health centres.