Haiti Records Significant Increase in “Imported” COVID-19 Cases after Reopening Airport

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – Haitian health authorities have confirmed that since the reopening of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the French-speaking Caribbean country has recorded a 73 per cent increase in the number of imported cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Ministry of Public Health said that prior to the reopening on July 1, the country had recorded 57 “imported” cases of the virus, but that the figure has since increased to 99, an additional 42 cases in the first four days.

The Ministry explains that the increase of imported cases is attributable to an 86 per cent increase (36 cases) from the Dominican Republic and 14 per cent (six cases) from the United States.

The Ministry said that since March 19, the number of COVID-19 cases has totalled 6,333 with 59.1 per cent of the cases being male persons.

It said that the number of persons dying from the virus is 113 while 4,671 cases have been classified as “active” while there are 13, 638 suspected cases.

CMC