Guyana records 30 new COVID-19 cases in 24h

…active cases now at 430

The Health Ministry on Friday stated that Guyana recorded 30 new COVID-19 cases, thus raising the overall positive cases to 8729. The 30 new cases were from 593 samples that were collected and sent for testing.
The new statistics provided by the Ministry revealed that the death toll remains at 200, with the latest fatality recorded on Thursday.
The Ministry also stated that five patients remain in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 39 in institutional isolation, nine in institutional quarantine and 386 in home isolation. A total of 4492 males and 4237 females have recovered from the virus. To date, Guyana has tested 69,071 individuals.
An analysis of new cases showed that one was detected in Region One (Barima-Waini); four in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 20 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); one in Region Five (Demerara-Mahaica); one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and three in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Cases in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) remain at 234, 245, 421 and 656 respectively.
Meanwhile, with the 20,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine received this week, Guyana will be able to immunise 10,000 persons – starting with the healthcare workers. According to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, it is one of the effective vaccines developed and will prevent transmission.
“We have just received the Sinopharm vaccines and this is one of the effective vaccines that are around. The efficacy, as we have seen from the scientific literature, is about 79.4 per cent which is really good. And it means that if somebody receives the vaccine, that it would prevent them from getting the disease.”
Dr Anthony added that while there is still a small chance of getting the virus, it will be in a milder form. He said Guyana was fortunate to benefit from this tranche, as there is some scarcity now with China vaccinating its large population.
He indicated, “There is still that small percentage of chance that they can get the disease but if they do get the disease, then it would be in a milder way and in most cases, all the studies have shown that you don’t get the severe form. These vaccines are very, very effective. They have been used in a number of countries around the world, especially in the Middle East. There are several countries in South America that has given it emergency use authorisation.”
In a few days, Guyana will receive a massive donation of vaccines – this time from the Government of India, which has promised some 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the country. The country is also awaiting 100,000 doses from the COVAX mechanism, also slated to arrive in March.
India has already donated 170,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to the Caribbean – 70,000 to Dominica and the remaining 100,000 to Barbados from which Guyana was given a portion. Those jabs have already been used to vaccinate some 2000 frontline healthcare workers.