(Barbados Nation) After 17 days with no new COVID-19 cases, four people who returned to Barbados on Tuesday’s repatriation flight from the United States tested positive for the viral illness.

Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic made the announcement earlier yesterday during a media briefing at his Culloden Road, St Michael, office.

The public health officers in this Ministry are fully aware and have been advising the Government that we should be prepared for an uptick in cases once travel from hotbed areas resumed,” Bostic said.

“I wish to assure the public that Barbados is much better prepared today to deal with this challenge than we were in March when the viral illness surfaced here on island.

Bostic said the Best-Dos Santos Public Health laboratory conducted 187 tests on Tuesday and the others were negative.