9 new COVID-19 infections recorded, 84 active cases

After days of reporting zero cases, COVID-19 infections are picking up, with an additional nine cases surfacing on Wednesday.
Currently, active positives account for just over 80 of the 71,331 confirmed cases to date. The number of reported deaths still stands at 1281, according to the Health Ministry.
Meanwhile, no one is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital, but there are four persons in institutional isolation, 81 in home isolation, and two in institutional quarantine.
Additionally, 69,965 total recoveries have been counted.
Currently, Guyana has processed almost 700,000 samples for the virus.
A new report published by the World Health Organization (WHO) has shown that the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25 per cent in the first year of the pandemic alone. In the Americas, however, COVID-19 exacerbated an already critical issue. The region faces increasing suicide rates, with some countries experiencing the highest suicide rates in the world.
Mental health services have been chronically underfinanced in the region, with resources directed only to mental institutions rather than to first level of care within the community. There is frequently also a lack of qualified health professionals, and stigma and discrimination are common barriers to care, in addition to policies that fail to promote and protect the human rights of persons with mental health problems.
In 2022, PAHO also established a High-Level Commission on Mental Health and COVID-19 to support member states in improving and strengthening mental health across the Americas.
In Guyana, the Mental Health Protection and Promotion Bill 2022 was passed in the National Assembly in August of this year. Enshrined in the law is a series of rights for mental health patients, including access to care.
According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) figures, some 612 million confirmed cases were reported globally, along with 6.5 million deaths. In the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 178 million, while the death toll in the region has gone up to 2.8 million.
Symptoms of coronavirus infection include fever, cough, tiredness, diarrhoea, pains, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell. The more serious symptoms are difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain, and loss of speech or movement. If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need 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)