With 920 new, positive coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the last 48 hours, the health situation in Trinidad and Tobago continues to worsen as the Caribbean country hit over 10,000 active infections on Saturday (June 5).

The twin-island republic clocked the worrying threshold just two weeks later than the worst-case scenario posited by Epidemiologist Dr Avery Hinds, who warned that at their current rate of spread the islands could be staring at 10,000 active cases by May 22.

One month, a state of emergency, reimposed curfew restrictions and other control measures later, the outbreak sweeping much of the CARICOM member state is largely being fuelled by the more infectious P1 variant first detected in Brazil.

Reeling under the impact of the more infectious Brazilian variant, Trinidad and Toabgo’s COVID-19 spike sent the republic on a dizzying spike to now rank as the Caribbean’s fifth worst-hit territory, behind the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica.

Some 391 new cases were confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Saturday (June 5), bringing the cumulative caseload to 26,192.

Of that number, Trinidad and Tobago is managing 10,064 active cases, according to health ministry data.

Ahead of the ominous warning, infections skyrocketed over the one-month period by more than 131.5 per cent—recording a massive 14,879-case jump from 11,313 as at May 2, to 26,192 at present.

The positivity rate within Trinidad’s public health sector continues to improve, however, falling from a dangerous high of 35 per cent earlier in May to hovering around 24 per cent.

The pandemic has hit sections of the country hard, with nearly 300 deaths in the month, climbing from 174 at the start of May to 464 COVID-related fatalities today.

The three deadliest days saw Trinidad and Tobago losing 63 patients to the coronavirus on May 18 (23 deaths), May 13 (21) and June 4 (19) respectively.

Hospitalisations, up significantly from the 220 patients in need of treatment on May 2 to figures of 421 currently, hold steady and continue to decrease from a peak of 462 reported on June 2.

A total of 15,564 Trinbagonians have made a full recovery from the infectious disease, the ministry further indicated.