2 more COVID-19 deaths, 48 new cases

The Health Ministry on Wednesday announced that two more persons have died from the novel coronavirus in Guyana. 
This now takes the country’s COVID-19 death toll up to 82.
According to the Ministry, in a statement, “as at 17:00h on September 30, 2020, two other persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.”
These latest fatalities are a 61-year-old female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) who died while receiving care at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and a 60-year-old man from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
Officials of the Ministry have since contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who may have been exposed to the now-dead persons.
Only Tuesday, Guyana recorded another two COVID-19 deaths. The victims were a 77-year-old male and a 67-year-old female – both from Region Four. The week began with the COVID death toll at 78.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry also reported on Wednesday that 48 new COVID-19 cases were detected.
This is according to the updated COVID-19 Dashboard, which states that the total number of cases in the country is now 2,894. Of these, 1,531 are males and the other 1,363 are females.
However, there are currently 1,134 active cases in the country, including 11 persons in the COVID ICU at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) and the remaining 1,123 in isolation – that is, 185 in institutional isolation and the remaining 938 in home isolation.
Some 52 persons are also in institutional quarantine.
Additionally, some 1,680 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease here – 36 more than the figure reported on Tuesday.
To date, Guyana has tested a total of 14,082 persons for the novel coronavirus.
A breakdown of the 48 new cases recorded on Wednesday shows that 17 were detected in Region One (Barima-Waini); three in Region Two, (Pomeroon-Supenaam); one in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 24 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); and one each in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). The other regional figures remain the same, with 42 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 354 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 97 cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice).
Since taking office, the PPP/C Government has embarked on a massive testing drive to ensure that all positive cases, especially asymptomatic cases, are detected. Nevertheless, the Health Ministry continues to urge all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (# 9).
This order emphasises, among other things, the need for persons to correctly and consistently use a face mask when leaving their homes; the importance of maintaining the six-foot physical distance from others, and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Persons displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or in need of any additional information, are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately, or visit us at www.health.gov.gy
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 33,502,430 confirmed COVID-19 cases reported around the world as the global death toll surpasses the million mark with 1,004,421 deaths.
Meanwhile, the Region of the Americas has reported over 16.5 million coronavirus cases with more than 552,800 deaths. (G8)