Executive Director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Dr Joy St. John, said on Thursday that so far the risk of the coronavirus to the region is low.
“Presently, there have been no confirmed cases or reports of the 2019-nCoV [coronavirus] in the Caribbean region and based on current information, the immediate health risk from this virus to the general public remains low,” Dr. St. John said in a statement to the authorities of Guyana and the Caribbean states.
The coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, a city in central China on December 31, 2019. The virus is suspected to be derived from a food market where seafood and mammals were sold. The death toll has risen to 26 persons while more than 500 are infected as reported by Chinese authorities.
Ministry of Public Health along with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) have scheduled a media briefing for Monday, January 26, 2020 to provide an update.
