Honduras death certificate claims Cayman worker died of COVID-19

UPDATE: Test results have now confirmed that Gary Enrique Castillo Escobar did not have COVID-19.

(CMR) The government of Honduras has indicated that a Cayman worker who died there earlier this morning had COVDI-19 despite his family indicating that he died from a sudden onset of diabetes, a disease he did not know he had.

The death certificate was made available to CMR this evening and indicates COVID-19 as the cause of death. Apparently, the doctor's information on the death certificate indicates that Gary Enrique Castillo Escobar (46) died from coronavirus but had underlying health complications – diabetes and hypertension. He exhibited symptoms of phenomena and eventually died of health failure at around 3:00 am today.

These details are contrary to what the family believes happened; as was reported earlier today. Castillo when to Honduras on Monday seeking treatment for a leg injury that he could no longer afford to treat her in the Cayman Islands. Sources indicate that reports circulating that he was a patient at Health City; which treated Cayman's first COVID-19 death were misleading because Castillo was at that facility some five months ago – long before the virus emerged in Wuhan, China.

He traveled to Honduras on Cayman Airways on Monday. He celebrated Father’s Day on Thursday with his stepson but fell ill on Friday morning. He was subsequently taken to the hospital when they realized his blood pressure was extremely high was quarantined in an area with other suspected coronavirus patients. His sugar level was also high and it appears he had undiagnosed diabetes.

Sources indicated there may have been up to three persons on that flight that are suspected to have the disease. Most COVID-19 deaths are persons with underlying health conditions that make them more susceptible to succumbing from the disease.

Sources indicate that the community of Sonaguerra is refusing to allow the body to pass through there. This is a smaller town between La Ceiba and Trujillo Colon where Castillo is originally from.

The death certificate was changed late this evening to indicate “suspected” COVID-19 once the body was returned to La Ceiba. Sources indicate it will now take two days to receive confirmation.

The Honduran authorities are said to have had a briefing with Health City who confirmed he was treated there some time ago for an ankle injury. The tests will be sent to the country’s capital city, Tegucigalpa. He is now expected t be buried in La Ceiba.