24 new COVID-19 cases; 16 in ICU

The number of COVID-19 cases in Guyanese continues to rise, and 24 new cases have been recorded on Wednesday.
According to the Ministry of Health’s updated COVID-19 Dashboard, the country’s total number of cases is now at 3,589, of which 1,909 are males and 1,680 females.
However, only 996 of these cases are currently active, including 16 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and other 980 in isolation; that is: 80 in institutional isolation and the remaining 900 in home isolation.
There are also 42 persons in institutional quarantine presently.
Meanwhile, the country’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 106. The latest fatalities from the pandemic were recorded on Monday when a 62-year-old male and a 47-year-old female, both from Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), died while receiving care at a medical facility.
To date, some 2,487 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease.
Guyana has tested a total of 16,308 persons for the novel coronavirus.
A breakdown of the 24 new cases recorded on Wednesday shows increased cases in seven of the 10 administrative regions across the country. This includes: one new case each in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), seven cases in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), two in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 10 cases in Region Eight (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and two new cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).
The figures remain the same in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) at 56, 24 and 367 respectively.
Since taking office, the PPP/C Government has embarked on a massive testing drive to ensure that all positives cases, especially asymptomatic cases, are detected.
Authorities have been pleading with, and reminding, Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 9) which are in effect until October 31, 2020. This order emphasise, among other things, the need for correct and consistent use of face masks when leaving home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Moreover, Government has since launched ‘Operation CoviCurb’ – a countrywide campaign by the Joint Services and other key stakeholders, using an education and persuasion strategy to elicit adherence to the COVID-19 safety measures.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had initially stated that awareness campaign has been garnering positive feedback.
Over the past few days. In addition to ranks from the joint services, several Government ministers had gone out to hotspot areas across the country, such as the markets, to distribute masks and flyers to persons.
However, Dr Anthony noted that while these engagements solicit good interaction with the public, they also highlighting disturbing situations that could expose persons to the novel coronavirus.
“We observed quiet a lot of the [market] vendors are not wearing the masks. Some of them had masks, but they were using them inappropriately. A lot of people had them under their nose, which is useless… We also observed that the customers, quite a few of them did not have on masks,” the Minister stated during a recent update on the pandemic in Guyana.
He noted that the elderly population accounts for many of the delinquents, and this is especially worrying since that age group has been profiled as the most vulnerable grouping. As such, Dr Anthony impressed the need for such persons to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.
“While I think the exercise that we did is an important one and good one – where we shared information and spoke with people, and hopefully that would lift their awareness and they would do the right things – we have to find other means of sustaining this type of education,” Dr Anthony explained.
The Health Minister further urged vendors and general members of the public to be peer-educators and encourage each other to protect themselves.
Dr Anthony went on to highlight the lack of adequate sanitisation facilities at these market areas. He noted that collaboration will have to be done with these markets to put those systems in place.
“I’m hopeful that while we would have had a successful activity (on) Friday, Saturday and Sunday, that we can get more people involved, and hopefully we can change the attitude at these markets and other places, where people have been gathering,” the Minister posited.
Persons interested in joining the awareness campaign can made contact with the COVID-19 Secretariat for more information. (G8)