A 2-year-old old boy is among 16  COVID 19 deaths reported by the Health Ministry.   The ministry says the deaths occurred between January 12  and April 14.

The death tally is now 713.

The deceased are 9 males and 7 females ranging in age from 2  to 87 years.  Three were from Westmoreland,  two each from Kingston and St Andrew , St Catherine,  Hanover , st James and Trelawny and 1 from st Ann and st Elizabeth and Portland.

There was one coincidental death and 5 deaths are under investigation.

Meantime there were 233 new cases pushing the case count to 43 thousand  473.  The new cases consist of  134 females and 99 males ranging in age from 3 months to 99 years.

St Elizabeth was the only parish with no new case, while St Catherine had the highest number of cases with 75.

Kingston and St Andrew had 59,  St James 18, St Ann 17, St Thomas 13, St Mary 11,  Portland 9, Manchester 8, Clarendon and Westmoreland  7 each, Trelawny 6 and  Hanover 3.

356 persons are hospitalized with  33 being critically ill and 41 being moderately ill.

103 persons recovered and there are 22 thousand 978 active cases.