Jamaica has hit a new coronavirus (COVID-19) high on Sunday (August 23), with 879 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours.

The landmark figure marginally shatters the previous record of 878 infections published by the Ministry of Health and Wellness on March 8.

As the Alpha (or Kent) variant was responsible for the exponential increase in cases then, the Delta (or Indian) variant is fuelling the Caribbean country’s latest outbreak.

Jamaica’s cumulative COVID-19 total has climbed to 62,712. While 47,787 persons have recovered from the infectious disease, the island is currently managing 13,140 active cases.

According to the ministry’s clinical management summary, released on Monday, new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in all 14 parishes across Jamaica, as Kingston and St Andrew (145), Manchester (121), Westmoreland (109), St James (109), and St Catherine (105) stand out as the five-worst hit areas.

The positivity rate remains worryingly high at 43.9 per cent, the ministry added.

A crisis also looms for the struggling public health sector as Jamaica sees its highest-ever number of hospitalisations at 607. Of that staggering number, 125 Jamaicans have been classified as ‘moderately ill’, 83 ‘severely ill’ and 60 more listed as ‘critically ill’.

A total of 14 Jamaicans, the youngest of which was a 39-year-old woman from St. Elizabeth address, died over the last 48 hours, bringing the death toll to 1,402.