…6 more unvaccinated persons die, 33 in ICU
Statistics on Tuesday revealed that more than 48 per cent of COVID-19 fatalities in Guyana were residents of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony shared during the daily briefing that of the 848 persons to die from the disease, some 414 hailed from Region Four. This accounts for 48.8 per cent of deaths.
The remaining deaths were dispersed among the other regions, with Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) taking the second spot with 124 fatalities.
There were 43 deaths in Region One (Barima-Waini); 34 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 43 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 65 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 39 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), five in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); 23 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 58 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Meanwhile, a gender breakdown indicated that 464 of reported deaths were males – 54.7 per cent. Females accounted for 384 persons or 45.3 per cent.
New deaths, infections
Six new fatalities were announced on Tuesday – five of which were unvaccinated cases and one partially vaccinated.
On October 7, a 60-year-old male from Region Four died. This was followed by a 64-year-old male on October 8 and a 64-year-old female on October 9 – both of whom hailed from Region Four.
Then on October 10, a 34-year-old male from Region Four also died, followed by a 73-year-old female on October 11. The last death was recorded since September 29 – an 88-year-old male from Region Three.
Meanwhile, the country also recorded 75 new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the total positives recorded to date to 33,823.
There are 33 persons in the COVID Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 139 in institutional isolation, 3480 in home isolation, and four in institutional quarantine. Recoveries from the virus number 29,323.
Regionally, there was one new case in Region One, one in Region Two, 10 in Region Three, 38 in Region Four, five in Region Five, one in Region Six, two in Region Eight, three in Region Nine, and 14 in Region 10.
Region Seven did not report any new cases.
Hospitalised cases stand at 124. At the Infectious Diseases Hospital, 88 persons are receiving treatment.
One person is hospitalised at the Kumaka District Hospital, four at Suddie Hospital, seven at West Demerara Regional Hospital, three at the Mahaicony Hospital, two at the New Amsterdam Hospital, one at Skeldon Hospital, four at Bartica Hospital, one at Mahdia Hospital, and six at the Wismar Hospital.
Vaccination
Some 368,850 or 71.9 per cent of adults have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Second doses stand at 225,050 or 43.9 per cent. For the 12-18 age group, 25,919 first doses have been delivered and 15,429 second doses.
The Minister indicated that to date, Guyana has received 305,420 vaccines under the COVAX mechanism, allowing for the vaccination of 152,710 persons. Initially, COVAX was seeking to distribute vaccines to cover 10 per cent of the population in Advance Market Commitment (AMC) countries. This has since increased.
“WHO [World Health Organisation] wanted to make sure that by December of this year, every country would have achieved at least 40 per cent of their population. I guess with that in mind, COVAX is working to make sure that they get vaccines to countries so that they can immunise 40 per cent of their population,” he underscored.
Speaking about achieving herd immunity locally, the Minister said variants and new infections every day would influence the target.
“We’re trying to get as many people as possible. To get to herd immunity, it would mean that we have to be somewhere between 80 to 90 per cent of our total population. Herd immunity now would vary. The percentage of the population that you have to immunise would vary because of the evolution of the virus. We now have the Delta strain that is the dominant [strain] around the globe. Because that is more transmissible, you have to get higher percentage of your population immunised,” Dr Anthony explained.
The 80 per cent mark would mean complete vaccination of 410,386 persons. First-dose uptake has been progressing, but the Ministry must bolster its efforts to drive second-dose uptake.
“When we’re talking about herd immunity, it would mean that if it is a two-dose vaccine series, that the person would have to receive both doses. As it is right now, we’re only at 43.9 per cent of the persons who have been fully vaccinated. So, for the 18 and older age group from the latest stats, that would mean that we have 512, 983 persons in that age category.” (G12)
