The People’s National Party (PNP) self-proclaimed ‘Chairman for Life’ Robert Pickersgill has been admitted to an ICU in Kingston after testing positive for COVID-19.
The news follows the death of another former PNP member, Dr. DK Duncan, who died yesterday after testing positive for COVID-19 two weeks ago.
According to the Jamaica Observer, the 77-year-old Pickersgill was admitted to Medical Associates Hospital a few days ago, and was first diagnosed with dengue, then pneumonia. He tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday and was transferred to the University Hospital of the West Indies, where he is in the intensive care unit.
Pickersgill, who served as minister of water, land, environment and climate change in the PNP administration up to 2016, had retired from politics just last month.
Over the last few weeks, there has been an increase in the number of hospitalizations and deaths related to COVID-19 in Jamaica. Hospitalizations have jumped from 96 on Sunday to 113 as of Friday, while deaths have increased to 55 from 42.
