Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll now at 900

…1 new death, 82 infections recorded

The COVID-19 death toll in Guyana now stands at 900, after one more person who had tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) died.
This latest fatality is a 64-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), who died on Wednesday. According to the Health Ministry, the man was unvaccinated.
Meanwhile, some 82 new COVID-19 cases have been detected within a 24-hour period. This now takes the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 35,252, of which 16,665 are males and 18,587 are females. However, only 3,024 of these are currently active cases, including 25 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 2,999 persons in isolation; that is, 73 in institutional isolation and the other 2,926 in home isolation. There are also five more persons in institutional quarantine.
To date, some 31,328 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus – 395 more recoveries than the figure previously reported.
Moreover, 349,802 persons have been tested for the novel coronavirus thus far since the outbreak of the deadly disease here.
Of the 82 new cases detected on Wednesday, five are from Region One (Barima-Waini), three are from Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), nine are from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a whopping 34 are from Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), another three are from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 17 are from Region Six (East Berbice -Corentyne), there are two each from Regions Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), while the remaining seven cases are from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).
There has been no new case recorded from Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) on Wednesday.
The Guyana Government launched its COVID-19 vaccination exercise back in February, and continues to roll it out across the various regions in order to achieve herd immunity and reduce the number of COVID-19 infections.
So far, some 379,435 persons, or 74 per cent of the adult population, have received their first dose of the vaccine, and approximately 46.8 per cent, or 240,025 persons who are 18 years and older, are fully immunised.
As it relates to children, more than 27,055, or 37.1 per cent of the first dose of the vaccine, have been administered to the 12-to-17-year age group. Of that amount, some 17,647, or 24.2 per cent of that age cohort, are fully vaccinated.
However, during his COVID-19 update on Wednesday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony pointed out that the administration of second doses of the vaccines is lagging.
“Some people might believe that because we have a requirement that you get at least one dose of the vaccine and you are considered vaccinated [so they do not return for their second dose]. While that may be for administrative purposes, for the protection of your health, if you don’t get both doses, then you are not going to the get the full benefits of these vaccines,” Dr Anthony stated.
He explained that persons will “…not be able to effectively fight off the virus. So, it is important that people get both doses.
To this end, the Health Minister is appealing with persons who have only received their first dose and are due for their second dose to get the jab.
Nevertheless, as more people continue to get vaccinated, authorities are urging the public to continue observing all COVID-19 preventative measures, particularly masking in public, social distancing, and frequent hand washing and sanitising.
The measures also include vaccination requirements to access any public building such as restaurants, places of worship, schools, as well as Government buildings. (G8)