Jamaica remains under its most devastating coronavirus (COVID-19) wave yet, as the island shattered its record for highest positivity rate for the third time in a week.

According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Jamaica’s positivity rate on Sunday (August 29) jumped nearly 10 percentage points higher than the day before, moving from 43.5 per cent to 54 per cent.

The current figure means that more than half of every 10 Jamaicans tested for COVID-19 have returned with a positive confirmation.

It is the highest positivity rate since the 50.7 per cent landmark reached last Friday, and greatly eclipses the previous Monday’s 48.7 per cent record.

Jamaica confirmed 739 new cases in the last 24 hours, which brings the national cumulative tally to 67,402, the health ministry’s clinical management summary indicated.

The country’s strained public health sector now manages 17,288 active cases.

As the highly infectious Delta variant continues to spread across the island, new COVID-19 infections were again recorded in all 14 parishes. St Ann (149) Kingston and St Andrew (143), St Mary (88), St Catherine (82) and Westmoreland (65) ranked as the hardest-hit areas.

Jamaica also reached a new peak in its daily COVID-19 infections rate on Saturday, confirming a record 929 new cases. The country also saw 21 deaths that day, the second-highest single-day toll since August 25.

In the meantime, some 48,186 Jamaicans have made a full recovery from the respiratory disease, while 1,510 lives have been lost due to coronavirus-related complications.

Hospitalisations remain unchanged at 723, however, there are marginally more patients listed as ‘moderately ill’ (192). No change was also seen in the category ‘severely ill’ (88), while ‘critically ill’ (62) patients have fallen somewhat.

The situation is persistently worrying despite hospitals islandwide getting a brief respite from the medical oxygen crisis on Sunday.

Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton disclosed earlier today that a shipment of bulk oxygen arrived on the island and would be immediately dispatched.

In a tweet on Monday, Tufton said the life-saving gas was delivered at 4:45 am and continued to urge Jamaicans to get vaccinated as cases pile up.