2 more COVID-19 deaths, 57 new cases recorded

The Health Ministry on Monday announced that two more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died. This takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 1008.
Latest fatalities are two males – a 71-year-old from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and an 83-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). One was fully vaccinated while the other was unvaccinated.
The country has recorded 57 new cases of the virus, taking the total positives recorded to date to 38,217.
There are 17 patients in the Intensive Care Unit, 52 in institutional isolation and 872 in home isolation. Another four persons are being monitored in institutional quarantine.
Guyana has since conducted 398,500 tests thus far, of which 36,268 positive patients have recovered.
There were two new cases in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); four in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 30 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). There were no increases in the other regions.
Meanwhile, active cases have reduced to 1018 across the country – the majority of which are in Region Four with 427, Region Six with 261 and Region Three with 148.

Protect oneself
Speaking on this decline in both deaths and active cases, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony expressed, “We just came out of a Delta wave where we had a spike in hospitalisation and deaths. We have to be careful as we go forward in the holiday season with how we interact with each other. We still have a lot of active cases and these are persons that have been confirmed with a COVID-19 test.”

He outlined that it is important to protect oneself, since persons in public can be asymptomatic, and as such, are undetected.
“There might be other persons who have a milder form of the infection that we have not captured in these numbers. Therefore, there are still persons out there and if you don’t abide by wearing your mask and keeping distancing and so forth, then you can become exposed unknowingly to someone who has COVID. Then you can get COVID.”
Before travelling to Guyana, there must be proof of full vaccination and a negative SARS-CoV-2 antigen test or a negative SARs-Cov-2 PCR test, not older than 72 hours. Children under two years of age are not required to be tested.
Any mix-and-match combination of approved vaccines administered at seventeen days apart is permissible. Fully vaccinated also includes persons who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 virus fourteen days to three months ago.
If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.
All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene. (G12)