British territory was the last-standing in the Caribbean and effectively means COVID-related deaths have arisen region-wide.

Anguilla confirmed its first coronavirus-related (COVID-19) death on Tuesday (September 21), as the ravages of the pandemic have been felt throughout the entire Caribbean.

The Ministry of Health, in a brief statement, said the victim was an elderly male who passed away earlier this morning after being hospitalised.

The ministry did not disclose for how long the elderly man was being treated or if he had underlying comorbidities, however, the agency stated its Anguilla’s first death since the pandemic infiltrated the region in 2020.

Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory, held out for over a year and despite its first COVID-related death, remains one of the Caribbean’s few ‘safe havens’ from the pandemic.

In its latest update, health ministry data indicated that the territory confirmed nine new cases on Monday, bringing the cumulative total to 340.

Anguilla is managing 15 active cases, the second-lowest across the Caribbean behind fellow territory Montserrat; while recording 325 recoveries.

The territory also boasts one of the highest COVID-19 inoculation rates in the region, with some 9,071 persons (or roughly 80 per cent of the eligible population) declared fully vaccinated as at September 17.