Active COVID cases increase as 45 new infections detected; 2 in ICU

The Health Ministry on Sunday reported that 45 more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus within a 24-hour period from 1037 tests conducted.
According to the Health Ministry’s updated COVID-19 dashboard, the total number of confirmed cases in Guyana is now 63,849.
But only 319 of these are currently active cases. This includes two patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining persons in isolation, that is, 10 in institutional isolation and the other 307 persons in home isolation.
One other person is also in institutional quarantine.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death toll remains at 1228 while the number of recovered cases is now 62,302 – one more than the figure reported the previous day.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Guyana over two years ago, a total 611,943 tests have been conducted countrywide and of this, some 29,389 males and 34,460 females were found to be positive.
Of the 45 new cases recorded on Sunday, one was from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 20 cases from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), two from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 21 cases from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and the remaining one case from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony last week attributed this raise in COVID-19 cases to the BA.2 subvariant of the Omicron strain here.
After a prolonged period of declining cases, the Guyana Government, back in March, removed most restrictions as the country moves to recover from the pandemic and return to normalcy.
But while mandates such as masking in public and social distancing are no longer in place, health authorities are still encouraging persons to get vaccinated, and for those who are qualified to get their booster shots, in order to add a layer of protection against the virus.