Guyana records 6 new COVID-19 cases

ꟷ active cases now 126

Guyana has recorded six new cases of the novel coronavirus as of Sunday, which brings the total confirmed cases to 297 thus far.
Statistics from the Public Health Ministry indicated that deaths remain at 17 – the latest of which was announced on Saturday. Meanwhile, there are 126 active cases in institutional isolation, 20 individuals in institutional quarantine and five patients in the designated Intensive Care Unit.
Thus far, health officials have conducted 3252 COVID-19 tests and 2955 have returned negative. From the positive cases, 154 persons have recovered.
Last Saturday, 69-year-old Geerjadai Jagnarine of 7th Street Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD), passed away in the wee morning hours – three days after being transferred from the GPHC to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. She is the latest death. During an interview with Guyana Times, the woman’s family cast blame on the public hospital for infecting the elderly woman with the virus.
According to the family members, Jagnarine was taken to the GPHC on June 30 just after midday, since she was having a number of complications and was a patient of the hospital’s heart clinic.
After Jagnarine was admitted, a COVID-19 test was conducted. On July 2, 2020, family members received a call from the Public Health Ministry, informing them that Jagnarine was tested positive for the virus.
Alarmingly, over the past two weeks, a whopping five deaths were recorded. The last COVID-19 death was recorded five days ago when 76-year-old May Portsmouth – a resident of Friendship, ECD, succumbed while receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the GPHC.
During last week’s COVID-19 daily update, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle revealed that for a country with less than one million people, Guyana has recorded a “very high” COVID-19 death rate.
A survey conducted by the Public Health Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) sought to assess the behavioural pattern of the population. It showed that respondents from all 10 administrative regions have indicated that the level of fear of becoming infected with COVID-19 has decreased from 81.6 per cent to 53.5 per cent over a period of four weeks.
Meanwhile, 30 per cent of respondents reported that they were unwilling to give up their daily practice and adhere to guidelines provided, and over 70 per cent indicated that they wear a mask when out in public.
Holistically, 58 per cent of persons indicated that they observe the six feet social distancing recommendation as per the guidelines, and 76 per cent of the respondents indicated that they wash or sanitise their hands frequently.