…4 more deaths, whopping 152 new cases recorded
The Health Ministry on Saturday reported two more deaths from the coronavirus – bringing the death toll for the month of April to 48.
Since the pandemic started, Guyana has seen 281 persons succumbing to the virus.
The latest fatalities are two women and two men. The women are a 60-year-old from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and a 65-year- old from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). The men are a 72-year-old and a 42-year-old. Both men are from Region Four (Demerara- Mahaica).
They all died while receiving care at medical facilities.
From 1760 swabs that were taken for analysis on Saturday, 152 persons tested positive for COVID-19. Now, the total confirmed cases are at 12,600 – 6364 males and 6236 females.
In the facilities, 16 patients are seeking treatment in the Intensive Care Unit, with 74 in institutional isolation and 11 in institutional quarantine. Another 1529 persons are in home isolation.
Guyana has tested 116,046 persons thus far and some 10,702 infected persons have since recovered.
New cases were detected across eight administrative regions with three in Region One (Barima-Waini); six in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 30 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 83 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); three in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 12 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); seven in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and eight in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
The cases in Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) remain at 254 and 511, respectively.
During an engagement on Saturday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony reminded Guyanese to take their vaccines as it offers 100 per cent protection against coronavirus deaths. Persons were also asked to encourage those within their neighbourhood and various social circles to get immunised.
“It would reduce your possibility of getting into the hospital. It would reduce your possibility of getting into the ICU and it would prevent you from dying, which is very important. All the vaccines that are right now in use 100 per cent prevents people from dying from COVID. Let us remember that so we can persuade people to take this vaccine,” the health official positioned.
He added, “The Government of Guyana has invested a lot of money to ensure that we procure vaccines for every single adult in Guyana…We have tied up some arrangements to ensure that everyone in Guyana would be able to get that COVID-19 vaccine. That cannot be said for many countries. What we need to do is to ensure that people take the vaccine. It is of absolutely no use if we have these vaccines and we keep them in a room.”
This week, the rising number of COVID-19 cases and death toll comes as local authorities continue to battle with a new wave of the novel coronavirus that is seeing a higher number of young people contracting the virus, and infected persons becoming sicker with some requiring hospitalisation.
If persons are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with a positive person, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy. (G12)
