The week is ending on another very worrying note regarding COVID-19 in this country.
Yesterday the country recorded 14 deaths, which meant in the space of just five days—from Sunday to Friday—71 people succumbed to the disease.
Compounding the astounding loss of life, COVID cases appear to be on the rise.
Both Wednesday and Thursday over 300-plus cases were recorded.
In one instance, the new cases have been the highest number the country has seen in five months.
The spread of the disease has been reported among members of vulnerable communities including the Blind Welfare Association and at the Lady Hochoy Home with three children and eleven adults battling COVID.
Only yesterday, geneticist Dr Nicole Ramlachan said the rising cases could be attributed to an apparent spike in the Delta variant.
Already the variant, which has been confirmed in almost 140 people including three pregnant women, is well in community spread in almost all counties throughout the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago.
Health officials have been warning that the plateauing of cases the country saw earlier this year has now given way to a potential escalation in new infections, which is being monitored.
The level of vaccine hesitancy among the population has not waned despite efforts to change the campaign and appeal.
This is definitely not an acceptable position for the nation to be in as the year inches to an end.
As the government no doubt ponders and plans its next move to manage COVID-19, it must give serious consideration to those who have already received a full dose of a COVID-19 vaccine but may want or require an added layer of protection.
A booster shot or a third dose of a vaccine has been approved by the World Health Organization and is already being administered in several countries for those who are immunocompromised.
It has been a topic that was scheduled to be discussed by senior health officials.
But given the present situation locally and the fact that there have been breakthrough COVID-positive cases among the vaccinated with some even contracting the Delta variant, these discussions should be expedited and thoroughly fleshed out.
While the attention and focus have been placed on the unvaccinated who are the ones falling ill and responsible for the high numbers of hospitalisations, consideration should also be placed on categories among the vaccinated who are still suspectable to infections, though rare, and desire to protect themselves further.
There is indeed enough vaccines in stock to make this happen, without hampering the quest to reach herd immunity.
Given the series of events related to COVID-19 this week, any and everything should be done to prevent the disease from holding this country in a chokehold once again.