Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll now 93

…95 new cases recorded

Three more persons died on Monday from the COVID-19 virus pushing Guyana’s death toll to 93.
Those who died on Monday are a 38-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); an 84-year-old female also of Region Four and retired nurse, 55-year-old Mark King. King was also a resident of Region Four. They were all receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The deaths on Monday brings the toll to six to be reported for the week, after three persons succumbed while receiving treatment on Sunday. They were two 56-year-old males – one from Baramita and the other from Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini), while the other was a 53-year-old man from Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni). 06
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry’s dashboard for Monday showed 95 new cases in one day, increasing the total positives to 3188. This shows a gender contraction rate of 1694 males and 1494 females.
One person was removed from the specialised Intensive Care Unit (ICU), which now stands at 14. Meanwhile, the number of persons in home isolation increased to 155 – an increase of 55. There are 46 persons in institutional quarantine and 137 persons in institutional isolation. The country saw 52 recoveries in one day, which increased the total recoveries to 1972.
A breakdown of the positive cases showed that 12 new cases were detected in Region One, four in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), six in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 37 in Region Four, one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), 11 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), three in Region Eight, seven in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 14 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
There was no increase in cases for Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), which remained at 18.
The Public Health Ministry has indicated that several COVID-19 hotlines remain functional, should Guyanese require guidance or are experiencing symptoms associated with the virus.
The COVID-19 Hotline Centre handles the majority of the calls into COVID-19 hotlines and provides assistance to persons desirous of getting tested. The centre also provides assistance in following up with positive patients and facilitates contact with persons in home isolation.
The COVID hotline works on a 24/7 rotation. The hotline is managed by volunteers from across the different sectors; the Civil Defence Commission, the Red Cross and the Ministry of Health among others.
Authorities have also been pleading with Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 9) which are in effect until October 31, 2020. This order emphasises, among other things, the need for correct and consistent use of face masks when leaving home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
In fact, there has been a country-wide campaign by the Joint Services and other key stakeholders, using an education and persuasion strategy, to elicit adherence to the COVID-19 safety measures. “Operation COVI-CURB” is in full effect and human resources have been dispatched across the administrative regions to educate people about the risks associated with contracting COVID-19. (G12)