San Salvador confirms first two COVID-19 cases

San Salvador confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on January 1, according to the Ministry of Health.

It confirmed another case the next day.

Cat Island, Rum Cay and San Salvador MP Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that residents are concerned.

“The question that still remains is whether they contracted it in San Salvador or in Nassau because both persons were in Nassau — one going back on the 20th and one going back on the 27th of December,” he said.

“It’s more likely that they might have carried it there.”

Davis said he doubts that the two cases are related, noting that they are both isolated.

He said he did not know how many San Salvador residents were quarantined as a result of the cases.

“The message is to remain safe, stay distanced, wear your mask and wash your hands,” Davis said.

Prior to January 1, San Salvador was one of three islands, including Ragged Island and Rum Cay, to remain untainted by COVID-19 since the first case was confirmed in The Bahamas on March 15.

The ministry has confirmed 7,914 cases in the last nine months.

Sixty-eight new cases were confirmed between December 30 and January 2.

A 62-year-old man, who lived on New Providence, died from the virus on December 31.

Health officials also reclassified five deaths that were previously under investigation, noting that four were COVID-related and one was not.

Three of those COVID-related deaths were women — ages 61, 68 and 69 — who died between November 12 and December 13.

A 59-year-old man died as a result of the virus on November 19.

All four victims were residents of Grand Bahama.