Haiti reports its first coronavirus death

Haiti on Sunday reported its first novel coronavirus death, a 55-year-old man who had underlying health conditions.

The health ministry said the man suffered from diabetes and hypertension.

He was one of only 21 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus in Haiti, a demographically young country where over half those diagnosed with the disease have been under age 45.

Only 218 tests for the new coronavirus have been carried out in Haïti since the first two cases were confirmed March 19, however, leading to criticism from the national medical community of the government's handling of the pandemic.

Since the virus first appeared, the government has announced stringent measures to contain it, but they have not been rigorously followed or enforced.

 

Dhaka/Mukul