Seven more COVID-related deaths were announced on Wednesday – of which a four-month-old baby girl was included as a fatality. This brings the death toll to 1108.
The child, who hailed from Region Six, died on January 14. Four deaths were reported on January 18: a 60-year-old male from Region 10; and three females from Region Four, aged 62, 63 and 68.
On January 19, two males from Region Four – aged 63 and 66 – also died. Two of the adults were partially vaccinated, one fully-vaccinated, one unvaccinated and the status of the last two is unknown.
There were 743 new cases in one day according to the Ministry’s dashboard, with the total confirmed cases in the country reaching 53,921. The infections follow a gender distribution of 25,214 males and 28,907 females.
Along with 18 patients in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 11,639 are in home isolation, 162 in institutional isolation and 27 in institutional quarantine. The data showed that 40,994 patients have recovered from the life-threatening virus while 481,243 swabs were processed.
In analysing new cases, statistics show that 34 surfaced in Region One (Barima-Waini); 21 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 49 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 323 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); 54 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 40 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 30 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); 63 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 129 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Since the pandemic, the rate of testing has increased by 20, when comparing 2020 to 2022. In 2020, some 38,548 tests were conducted. In comparison, January 1 to 12 of this year would have seen a monumental increase of 30,539 tests being processed.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony outlined in Wednesday’s COVID update that staff from the Ministry have been actively managing tests.
In this breath, he added, “They’ve been working and managing the volumes of tests that we are doing, but at the same time we believe that we need to look at those persons who really require the tests, and not for some individual to determine this is the test that they need and they come and ask for that test.”
In the coming weeks, he predicted that testing will continue on a large volume, especially with the rise in infections daily. Persons desirous of testing for the virus have been asked to desist from crowding testing sites by dispersing themselves to locations.
All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures, which are in effect until January 31, 2022. This order emphasises the need for everyone, 12 years and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19; 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 to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
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 (G12)
