…additional Sinopharm vaccines to arrive by Saturday
Guyana has now reported 473 deaths as a result of the novel coronavirus – four of which were announced on Thursday.
This means for the month of June, fatalities numbered 72. The deadliest month was May 2021, with 99 deaths.
Those who succumbed are a 91-year-old woman from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) who died on June 30, and a 71-year-old woman, a 34-year-old woman, and a 54-year-old man – all of whom were from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and died on June 29.
They were admitted with COVID-19-like symptoms and died while receiving care at medical institutions. Samples were taken at the time of admission which subsequently returned positive tests.
As the third wave continues to rise, 87 new cases were reported within one day. Some 20,142 persons have been infected locally – 9834 males and 10,308 females.
There are 14 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 100 in institutional isolation, 1460 in home isolation and three in institutional quarantine. Of the confirmed cases, 18,109 persons have recovered. Guyana has since tested 189,878 persons.
A regional breakdown of the new cases showed five in Region One (Barima-Waini), 22 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 40 in Region Four, five in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Cases in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) remain constant.
Guyana had purchased 100,000 doses of the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm shot, which will be used to immunise 50,000 people. A majority of this consignment, amounting to 88,000 doses, arrived on Wednesday at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony shared that the remaining 12,000 are slated to arrive by Saturday.
“That 100,000 vaccines would help to fully immunise 50,000 people. As of yesterday, we have received a majority of it. We have received 88,000 and so by Saturday, we will get the rest. Within the country, we will now have these 100,000 doses. We’re still a far way from herd immunity, because for us to get to herd immunity, we are projecting that we need to be approximately 80 to 85 per cent of the adult population be fully immunised,” he stated.
Sinopharm vaccines, which have an efficacy of about 79 per cent, have already been used in Guyana’s vaccination campaign after 20,000 doses were donated by the Chinese Government earlier this year.
“We have started the distribution of those that we received so we’re sending them out to the region. And one of the advantages with this particular vaccine is that it does not require the ultra-cold storage. These are vaccines that can be stored from 2 to 8 so we’re very happy with that, because it allows us to move them to very remote places as well,” Dr Anthony said.
With 22 per cent of the adult population fully immunised, the Minister cautioned that Guyana was still distant from achieving herd immunity, so persons needed to take their vaccines.
The Minister expressed, “The vaccines that we have could certainly help us to get there, but we need people to come forward and take the vaccines. I’m very hopeful that more and more people would understand the importance of getting vaccinated, because without vaccination, you’re putting your family and yourself at risk.”
In Guyana, 233,756 persons have taken their first doses, of which 110,710 have returned for their second shot and are now fully immunised.
