Young People Not Immune To COVID-19

Principal Medical Officer Dr. Maryam Abdool-Richards is again urging the population to adhere to COVID-19 mitigation measures, saying there continues to be a shift in pattern where younger people are dying with COVID-19 locally. She says although the majority of deaths are still from the elderly population, persons in their thirties are now succumbing to the virus. Dr. Abdool-Richards notes that many young people could be asymptomatic and are spreading the virus unknowingly to others. Dr. Abdool-Richards adds that hospital occupancy rates continues to increase steadily. The Principal Medical Officer says there has been a decrease in ICU occupancy rates from 50 to 40 percent and says this is not due to patients being discharged, but because of a rise in deaths over the past few days.