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A COVID-19 carrier who travelled to Tobago from Trinidad may have infected scores of people.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram said yesterday contact tracing on the positive case, shows that there were 222 primary, secondary and tertiary interactions.

The traveller was tested in Trinidad and did not go into quarantine.

She travelled to Tobago before the results were known.

And Head of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health Dr. Naresh Nandram says the spike in the number of cases came from effective contact tracing.

Yesterday at the COVID-19 news conference, Dr. Nandram explained the infections did not occur in a one-day period.

Dr. Nandram noted that over the weekend a fewer number of persons get tested so their status is later revealed.

The closure of schools while the Secondary Entrance Assessment remains on schedule is not sitting well with the National Parent Teachers Association.

Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Shamila Raheem told Newscenter 5, teaching institutions should have been shutdown earlier.

However she said while she is worried about safety mechanisms for the SEA, come Thursday, she hopes all will be well.

On Saturday Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced the changes due to the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Mrs. Raheem noted that parents and teachers have called expressing their fears.

The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association also expressed concerns over the exam earlier.

As restrictions go into effect, the head of the Belmont Taxi Drivers Association Richard Vaughn tells Newscenter 5 he supports the moves but hopes the public and drivers adhere to the rules.

Mr. Vaughn says he also wants the police to step up their enforcement.

The association president says refusing to wear masks should become as grave an offence as using cell phones while driving.

Familiar COVID-19 restrictions and closures are back in effect, as the authorities seek to arrest the growing number of cases in the country.

Last Saturday Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Roshan Parasram confirmed community spread.

With these increasing numbers, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley then announced the suspension of some activities and closure of places.

Hundreds of people flooded the beaches and rivers yesterday, wanting to take a dip before the closures.

Maracas was a population location and so too the Valencia River.

At Maracas Bay the head of the lifeguards station there, Captain Kirk Morton told Newscenter 5 yesterday there were thousands of persons rushing for their last soak in the salt.

He said there were even longer lines of packed vehicles waiting to get in.

Captain Morton said persons were not wearing masks.

Last Saturday Prime Minister Dr. Rowley said the wearing of masks would become law.

And an elderly man drowned at Clifton Hill Beach.

Police have confirmed that Dharaj Ramnarine drowned yesterday afternoon at a round 2 o’clock.

His body was removed to the San Fernando Mortuary.

Police say they are investigating the circumstances surrounding Mr. Ramnarine’s death.

A father of 3 has died of the coronavirus, bringing to 3 the number of related deaths in the country in less than a week.

The patient was 45 years old.

He is now the 11^th person to have died from complications due to the coronavirus.

The patient died at the Couva Hospital on Sunday.

Reports say the man showed symptoms of the virus about 2 weeks ago.

He went to a Public Health Facility and was tested for the virus.

He went into self-quarantine until the results came back positive last Saturday.

The man was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit in Couva and placed on a ventilator.

It is reported his family has been placed in quarantine, pending tests.

The number of active cases in the country was 401, up to the last release from the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry said the country has seen 552 positive cases.

The Ministry’s last update said 33 additional persons tested positive.

It said it was awaiting lab forms for categorisation purposes.

One hundred and forty persons have been treated and discharged.

A police exercise in Morvant and San Juan has led to the arrests of 2 men for narcotics possession.

The exercise last Saturday also uncovered arms and ammunition in an abandoned lot.

Police say between noon and 3:30 pm officers of the North Eastern Division Task Force visited several properties in the Morvant and San Juan areas, where they arrested a man for having 17 grams of cocaine.

Another man from Morvant was allegedly held with 160 grams of marijuana.

Officers say they found and seized 1 assault rifle with 1 magazine and 10 rounds of ammunition in a building at Saw Mill Avenue in Morvant.

The recount of the ballots in the St. Joseph constituency continues today and the Chief Elections Officer is hoping it will be completed soon.

St. Joseph is among five seats where the results from last Monday’s General Election were challenged by the United National Congress.

While the preliminary results show victory for the peoples national movement, the UNC called for a recount in the constituencies of La Horquetta/Talparo, Tunapuna, Toco/Sangre Grande San Fernando west and St. Joseph.

This morning Chief Elections Officer Fern Narcis Scope said this morning St. Joseph is outstanding.

And opposition leader Kamla Persad Bissessar is being told to accept her party has lost the election.

The call comes from former opposition MP Dr. Fuad Khan.

He says the Peoples National Movement won the August 10^th General Elections fair and square just as the Peoples Partnership did in 2010.

Dr. Khan says to cast doubt on the EBC is wrong.

Dr. Khan says it is sad that Mrs. Persad Bissessar is leading UNC supporters down this road.

He was speaking via a Facebook post yesterday.

The Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association is cautioning its members on their social media conduct.

TTUTA is calling for prudence when using the various platforms.

President Antonia De Freitas says all teachers must be mindful of what they put out in public.

Ms. De Freitas told Newscenter 5 yesterday the nation’s teachers are held to a higher standard and as such must exercise caution when posting on social media.