16 foreigners quarantined after entering Guyana illegally

…1 new COVID-19 case recorded

A total of 16 foreign nationals were arrested after entering Guyana illegally, and they have since been placed in mandatory quarantine at the specialised COVID-19 facility at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
Guyana Times was informed that the persons are Cuban and Irish nationals. They were tested for the novel coronavirus, and one returned positive. That person has been placed in isolation at the revamped Ocean View facility at Liliendaal, ECD while the others have been quarantined.
It is likely that these persons, a majority of whom came from neighbouring Suriname, entered Guyana through its porous borders. After completing their time in quarantine, these persons are likely to face prosecution.
Meanwhile, officials were since Wednesday afternoon tasked with hunting down a man from Katuru, Central Rupununi District, who disappeared after testing positive for the virus.
The man was informed by health authorities that he would be picked up and taken to a COVID-19 facility, but before this could be done, he escaped, and has already travelled to the South Pakaraimas.
Officials have been made aware of his location, and are in pursuit of him. They were also tasked with tracing the persons with whom he had had contact, who would also be examined for symptoms.

156 active cases
However, on Thursday, one new case of COVID-19 was detected, which raised the figures to 351 recorded cases.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle informed during the daily update that the total number of tests done is 5,263, and the number of persons tested is 3,975.
The latest statistics show that the deaths remain at 19. However, the number of active cases in institutional isolation is 156, while 33 persons are in institutional quarantine and two patients are in the COVID-ICU. To date, 176 persons have recovered.
With persons and workplaces accepting the new norm of coexisting with the deadly disease, she said, employees should use private transportation whenever possible. Whenever circumstances permit, employers should facilitate transportation of their employees to and from work to reduce the probability of exposure when using public transportation.
In the workplace setting, only persons wearing masks should be allowed to enter buildings.
“All entrances to public and private workplaces should have screening and hygiene blocks. Screening will entail taking temperatures with the laser thermometer; hygiene blocks should comprise sinks with running water and liquid soap, or hand sanitizing stations.
“Workplaces must decide on their policies regarding persons with elevated temperatures,” she said.
The DCMO also noted that employers should erect plexiglass or other transparent barriers between staff area and the public, and there should be clear demarcations showing six feet distancing either on floors or walls to guide the public.
Physical meetings also should be reduced to the barest minimum, and technology such as Zoom can be placed to enable communication.
Global statistics, according to the World Health Organization, are 14,765,256 cases, with 612,054 deaths; and regionally, 7,811,127 cases, with 313,809 deaths.