56 recover from COVID-19

SEVEN JAMAICANS reportedly recovered from the coronavirus disease yesterday while two persons tested positive for the second day in a row, increasing the nation’s infections to 473.

The recovery of COVID-19 patients now stands at 56.

The health ministry reported that the positive tests were returned from two men aged 30 and 34 who are both from the Corporate Area.

Nine persons have died since the virus was first confirmed in Jamaica on March 10.

The health ministry said that at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, a total of 5,993 Jamaicans have been tested for COVID-19.

One of the new positive cases is a contact of a confirmed case of the Alorica workplace cluster in St Catherine.

The second positive is a contact of a confirmed case that is under investigation.

Alorica, a call centre operating out of Portmore and Kingston, was the first business process outsourcing company in Jamaica where a case of COVID-19 emerged.

The first case was unearthed at Alorica’s Portmore site.

Since then, 221 of the positive cases in the country have been linked to the call centre.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said yesterday that of the total number of confirmed cases in Jamaica, 301, or approximately 64 per cent, of the cases were linked to Alorica.

“These include both the workers and their families,” Holness said during a sitting of the House of Representatives.

The health ministry said 163 samples were tested in the last 24 hours.