MoPH confirms 21st COVID-19 death

– victim identified as Diamond resident

The Public Health Ministry in the wee hours of Sunday confirmed Guyana’s latest COVID-19 death, bringing the total to 21.
The victim has been identified as 34-year-old Doodkumar Sookraj of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
According to reports, Sookraj passed away on Thursday last. Following his death, a COVID-19 test was conducted on him and that returned a positive result late Saturday evening.
On July 22, Guyana recorded its 20th COVID-19 death as 56-year-old Roger Martindale, a resident of Bartica in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), succumbed to the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.
The man’s death was only announced three days after his demise by Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle, during the coronavirus briefing.
The man’s family was in a state of emotional turmoil as he was just laid to rest a few hours prior to the Ministry making the announcement. The situation was compounded by the fact that they vehemently disagreed with the conclusion that he died from COVID-19.
The family is holding out that the man was sick for the past four months, and upon seeking treatment at the Bartica Hospital, doctors diagnosed him with Tuberculosis (TB) and as such, the revelation about him contracting the deadly virus is alarming.
In addition, the 19th COVID-19 death was recorded on July 15. A 36-year-old male from the North West District in Region One (Barima-Waini) died at the Georgetown Public Hospital allegedly from COVID-19-related complications.
He was in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and died less than 24 hours after the 18th death was recorded. Milton Paul, a 74-year-old resident of Campbellville Housing Scheme, Georgetown, had reportedly died several days after he was admitted.
His family members are also contending that the elderly man was taken to the hospital to be treated for an ailment and are convinced that he might have contracted the virus at the medical facility.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer had stated that for a country with fewer than one million people, Guyana has recorded a “very high” COVID-19 death rate.