2 new COVID-19 cases recorded, active cases stand at 157

…highest incidence rate in Region 1

Two new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been detected as of Tuesday, which raised the statistics of the number of cases recorded in Guyana to 339.
This was announced by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle, who informed that 71 tests were done in one day and two returned positive. On Monday, there was one new case of COVID-19.
The latest statistics show that the number of active cases in institutional isolation is 157; 19 persons are in institutional quarantine and two patients are in the COVID ICU. The number of deaths remain at 19 and 163 persons have recovered.
The total number of tests done is 5099.
The DCMO provided the incidence rate by region population, which showed Region One (Barima-Waini) leading the list with 363 cases per 100,000. This was followed by Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) with 38; Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) with 276 and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) with 74.
This shows that even though Region One has an average population of 26,941 persons, the contraction rate is supremely higher than other population Regions like Four, which has 313,429 individuals residing there.
“Even though the numbers in Region Four are higher, you are on average 9.5 times more likely to be infected in Region One than in Region Four and you are seven times more likely to get infected in Region Seven than in Region Four,” Dr Gordon-Boyle highlighted.
She said this is the prime reason why the restrictions have not been lifted in Regions One and Seven, since the concentration by population is far greater. Moreover, these areas have the highest number of active cases. There has also been a spike of new cases in Region Nine within the last two weeks.
For July, there were five new cases in Region One; four in Region Four, 15 in Region Seven and six in Region Nine.
“It is critical for us to monitor in the coming weeks the evolution of the incidence in all Regions, especially Nine which shares the border with Brazil, which is now the epicentre in Latin America. It is likely that cross-border movement may have taken place, hence the need for intensive case surveillance and case tracking. I plead with you not to tire of wearing your mask, washing your hands and staying six feet apart. These simple activities are the key to protecting ourselves and others,” the health official pleaded.
The regional hotspots have been identified as Moruca and Mabaruma in Region One; Aranka, Bartica and Sulphur Rose in Region Seven; Itabac and Mahdia in Region Eight; and Lethem in Region Nine.
The global statistics, according to the World Health Organisation, are as 14,348,858 cases with 603,691 deaths; and regionally 7,584,675 cases with 309,309 deaths. (G12)