9 more COVID-19 deaths, 145 new cases

The month of August has ended with 76 COVID-19 deaths, after an alarming nine more fatalities were announced by the Health Ministry on Tuesday.
Among the deaths are two persons from Region Four – a 91-year-old female and 58-year-old male – who succumbed on August 29.
On August 30, three males: an 82-year-old and 88-year-old from Region Four; and a 42-year-old from Region Two also died. Those who died on August 31 were a 71-year-old female from Region Four, a 56-year-old male from Region Two, a 73-year-old male from Region Four and a 66-year-old female from Region Three.
This takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 622. The Ministry said these patients were admitted with COVID-19 like symptoms but died while receiving care at the various medical institutions. Samples were taken at the time of admission which subsequently returned positive.
With the death toll rising, the total confirmed cases also increased to 25,548 after 145 persons tested positive. There are 33 persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 99 in institutional isolation, 1776 in home isolation and six in institutional quarantine.

New cases
A breakdown of positives showed three new cases in Region One (Barima-Waini); nine in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 20 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 90 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); six in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 13 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); two in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); one in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and one in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
Cases in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) did not increase.
With the presence of even deadlier variants, Guyanese have been cautioned to take the COVID-19 measures and guidelines seriously, since an infected person can result in a wider spread.
“We are in a Delta surge. We’re going to see more cases. Unfortunately, more hospitalisations and more deaths…I really want to urge people to take precautions; those public health measures, masking, sanitising, social distancing. Now more than ever, we need to take them because the Delta variant is more contagious than all previous variants that we have seen so you can get infected. If you get infected and you’re not adhering to the rules of staying home, staying isolated, you’re going to infect other persons,” said Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Tuesday.
He further added that responsible action from the public can prevent infections from rising and if they are vaccinated, this will prevent hospitalisation.
“The other thing that people need to note is that if you’re vaccinated, while you might get infected, more than likely you will not be hospitalised or face the more severe form of the infection. It is important that people get vaccinated.”
In Guyana, 313,469 persons or 61.1 per cent of the adult population has taken the vaccine, but the uptake of second doses has been less. This figure stands at 161,022.
“We have a lot of people who took the vaccine. Some of them got the first dose but we’ve seen a low conversion from first to second dose…While we do have a shortage of the Sputnik V second dose, there are lots of people who have taken the AstraZeneca vaccine that can come back and get their second dose within four weeks to 12 weeks,” the Minister urged.
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 us at www.health.gov.gy
All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasises: 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. (G12)