Active cases now at 492 as 35 new COVID-19 cases recorded

Another 35 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Guyana, taking the country’s total number of confirmed cases up to 8807.
These were detected from some 609 tests conducted in the last 24 hours.
According to the Ministry of Health’s updated dashboard on Sunday, eight of the active cases are patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the other 484 persons in isolation. This includes 40 persons in institutional isolation and the remaining 444 persons in home isolation.
There are also 13 persons in institutional quarantine.
Meanwhile, the country’s COVID-19 death toll remains at 201 with the latest fatality being a 57-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) who died on Saturday.
To date, some 8114 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease, that is, eight more recoveries than the figure previously reported.
Guyana has tested some 70,354 persons thus far for the novel coronavirus of which 4534 males and 4273 females were found to be positive.
Of the 35 new cases recorded on Sunday, four were detected in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a whopping 24 cases in the Demerara-Mahaica region, one in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and three cases each in Regions Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
The figures in the other five regions – Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) – remained the same.
Health authorities are reminding all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the Covid-19 Emergency Measures (No 15), which was extended for this month and will be in effect until March 31, 2021.
Among these measures is the 22:30h (10 pm) to 04:00h (4 am) national curfew which remains intact. Restaurants and places of worship continue to operate at 40 per cent capacity. Gyms are to operate at 50 per cent capacity while sporting events are only permitted with approval from the Health Minister.
The order further emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving 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.