The Ministry of Health and Wellness on Sunday (August 22) reported that 17 more persons have died from the virus pushing the country’s death toll to 1,388.

In addition, the number of persons being admitted to hospital with the virus continues to increase rapidly.

According to data from the ministry, almost two hundred persons have died of the virus over the last three weeks as the new COVID-19 cases continue to surge.

551 new cases were recorded yesterday pushing the case count to 61,833.

According to the data, Jamaica has recorded over 1000 new cases over the last three weeks as the highly contagious Delta variant continues to wreak havoc across the country.

Kingston and St. Andrew, St. James , St. Catherine, Manchester and St. Ann have been experiencing an explosion in cases in recent weeks, and are among the parishes in which the majority of the new infections have been recorded.

According to the health ministry, 573 patients are now in hospital with the virus, 82 who are classified as severely ill and 56 critically ill.