Active COVID-19 cases reduced to 475

— no new positive cases from 30 tests

Health officials have recorded zero new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Saturday, after 30 test samples were analysed.
The overall number of positives remain at 6,289, but the active cases have been reduced significantly over the past week and now stand at 452.
One day prior – on Friday, 23rd – cases were recorded. Saturday’s statistics were made available via the Health Ministry’s dashboard, which showed deaths remaining at 162. A gender distribution shows that 3,250 males and 3,039 females contracted the virus.
Seven persons are seeking treatment in the designated Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Notwithstanding, there are 16 persons in institutional isolation, 452 in home isolation, and 13 in institutional quarantine.
The number of recovered cases is 5,652, after 97 were recorded in one day. To date, 37,299 persons have been tested.
Meanwhile, a breakdown of the regional contraction rate shows that 931 positives were detected in Region One (Barima-Waini), 187 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 443 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 2689 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 95 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 304 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 537 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), 194 in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), 396 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 513 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

From the latest COVID-19 update, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has noted, exiting the global pandemic is linked to developing immunity either through recovery from the virus, or via vaccine. He noted that moving forward entails protecting citizens and the healthcare workers until the situation is under control.
“The only way we can exit the pandemic is if more people develop some form of immunity. You can do that in a number of ways, one is if you get the infection and after you recover, you will get some form of immunity. The other is to be able to get immunity through a vaccine…We have to move forward. The challenge that we have is that, as a country, all of us need to be saying the same things and urging people to take the right steps, gearing our systems and supporting that, making sure our healthcare workers are protected and so forth,” the Minister highlighted.
He acknowledged the disparity between First World and developing countries, whereby those with resources are procuring more vaccines than needed. This is resulting in a shortage. According to Dr Anthony, all countries should immunize their population. Otherwise, the virus will continue to spread from those who are not vaccinated.
“The general shortage around the globe right now for vaccines is when people buy more than they need in their own country. That’s not very helpful. It shows the inequity that exists in the world, because the richer countries are able to afford these vaccines while the poor countries have to wait. If we are going to exit the pandemic, it can’t be some countries immunising their population and others not having the resources to do so, because if you have pockets of COVID-19 remaining in the world, then it will spread.”