All COVID-19 positive persons must quarantine – Minister to employers

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has warned that all persons who test positive for the novel coronavirus should quarantine as he addressed claims of employees being asked to work even though they have tested positive.

Dr Anthony on Friday said that there are national guidelines as it pertains to persons who test positive for COVID-19. He noted that if someone tests positive for the virus, they should isolate themselves so as not to infect others, especially if they have contracted the subvariant of Omicron, BA.5, which is highly transmittable.
“There are national guidelines as it pertains to people who have tested positive. So, if you’ve tested positive, you have to isolate, so as not to infect others, especially with this particular subvariant of the Omicron, BA.5. It is highly transmittable. So, if you’re next to someone who is infected with BA.5 and you are not wearing your mask or taking the relevant precautions then you would get infected,” the Health Minister said.
“So, it is advisable that persons who have tested positive to isolate from others so as to prevent the spread. If people are ignoring that and they go to work, they would, obviously, be spreading the virus in the workplace,” Dr Anthony warned.

New cases
Meanwhile, there have been 44 new COVID-19 cases recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the number of active cases to 465 in the country. Guyana’s confirmed cases now stand at 70,788.
An analysis shows one new case in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 11 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 21 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), two in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), three in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and four in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Regions One (Barima-Waini), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) saw no increase in cases.
From the dashboard, 12 persons are in institutional isolation, 451 in home isolation, one in institutional quarantine, and two in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

No vaccine shortage
Meanwhile, Dr Anthony debunked accusations that there is a shortage in second-dose vaccines for adolescents. The Health Minister said that there are enough second-dose vaccines, specifically Pfizer vaccines for those who have already taken the first dose.
“We have adequate amounts of Pfizer vaccines,” the Minister confirmed, “and whatever you get as your first dose it is the same vaccine that is used as the second dose. So, we have enough vaccines so that anyone requiring a first dose, or a second dose; we have enough at the various vaccination sites.”
The Health Minister noted that maybe people are under the misconception that there are two different vaccines being administered to one person.
“It’s not a different vaccine. I think people are under the misconception that it’s two different vaccines. It’s not two different vaccines.”
He said that the first dose vaccine is the same as the second dose vaccine and reiterated that there is no shortage of vaccines for any age cohort.
Latest vaccination numbers show that, so far, 445,650 or 86.9 percent of adults have taken a first dose, while 345,342 or 67.3 percent are fully vaccinated.
For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, 35,523 or 48.7 percent have received a first dose. Second doses stand at 26,028 or 35.7 percent. Vaccines are also available for children within five to 11 years, whereby 7581 persons or 7.4 per cent have taken the first dose.
Additionally, 2730 or 2.7 per cent have received a second jab. Meanwhile, in excess of 72,000 persons have returned for their first booster dose. (G2)