3 more COVID-19 fatalities take Guyana’s death toll to 193

…5 new cases recorded

The Health Ministry has reported that three more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died. This now takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 193 in Guyana.
These latest fatalities have been identified as a 65-year-old male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), who died on Wednesday; and two other males: a 48-year-old also from Region Four and a 63-year-old from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), both of whom died on Tuesday.
All three persons have succumbed while receiving care at medical facilities, the Ministry has noted.
On Sunday, Guyana recorded its 190th COVID-19 fatality when another 63-year-old male from Region Four died at a medical facility.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry reported on Wednesday that Guyana recorded five new COVID-19 cases from 827 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. According to the Ministry’s updated Dashboard, the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana is now 8457 – 4380 males and 4077 females.
However, only 431 of these cases are currently active. This includes seven patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and other 424 persons in isolation, that is, 37 persons in institutional isolation and the remaining 387 in home isolation.
There are also another 11 persons in institutional quarantine.
To date, some 7834 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus here, 26 more recoveries than what was recorded the previous day.
Meanwhile, Guyana has tested some 62,389 persons for the novel coronavirus thus far.
The five new cases recorded on Wednesday were all detected in the Demerara-Mahaica region, taking the total number of cases in the country’s most populated region to 3806.
The figures in the other nine regions remain the same, with 1019 cases in Region One (Barima-Waini), 234 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 632 cases in Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), another 227 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 463 cases in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 770 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 245 cases in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), 415 in Region Nine (Upper Essequibo-Upper Takutu), and 646 cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara- Upper Berbice).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as at Wednesday, some 111,762,965 confirmed cases were reported globally, along with 2,479,678 deaths.
Who also reported on Wednesday that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 49,700,102, while the death toll in the region has gone up to 1,182, 592.
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. As the number of cases continues to increase in the country, Government two weeks ago rolled out the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines to frontline workers and persons with comorbidities, to protect against the deadly virus.
That batch of Astra-Zeneca vaccines was donated by the Government of Barbados, and Guyana is currently awaiting the arrival of more vaccines under the COVAX facility. Those are expected to arrive next month.
Nevertheless, local health authorities are reminding all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES (NO.14), which are in effect until February 28, 2021.
This order emphasises, among other things, the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; 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.
If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotlines 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 IMMEDIATELY, or visit www.health.gov.gy. (G8)