Just days after confirming its highest coronavirus (COVID-19) daily rate, Trinidad and Tobago’s crisis continues to worsen as the twin-island republic broke that record on Saturday (May 9), with 402 new positive cases in the last 24 hours.

Trinidad now has 13,122 cumulative cases of COVID-19, of which an increasingly pressured medical system is managing 3,792 active infections, according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Health.

It has been a difficult few weeks for Trinidad, on the confirmation of the more virulent P1 Brazilian variant, which has contributed to the spiralling surge in infections. The Caribbean nation recorded 1,480 cases up to last Saturday, and another 2,050 up to yesterday—marking a 39 per cent increase.

After confirming 328 and 326 cases respectively between April 29 and 30, Trinidad and Tobago shattered that record on May 5, with 399 positive samples identified.

Reporting seven newly listed coronavirus-related fatalities, the death toll in Trinidad and Tobago now sits at 203. The health ministry, in a statement, said that the victims ranged from elderly to middle-aged and all had comorbidities.

A total of 9,126 patients have made a full recovery from the infectious disease, the ministry has noted.

A 331 Trinbagonians are being treated at hospital. While there was no immediate breakdown of critically or moderately ill patients, the Couva Hospital currently has 14 persons admitted at its intensive care unit (ICU).