No COVID deaths recorded, 136 new cases detected in 24hrs

– active cases now jump to 1941

On Thursday, the Health Ministry recorded 136 new COVID-19 cases, thus raising the number of active cases to a whopping 1941.
There are now 15,743 total confirmed cases in the country as deaths remained at 349. No deaths were reported on Thursday with the last fatalities being reported on Tuesday, when four persons succumbed.
All four fatalities were males: a 37-year-old of Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice); a 50-year-old and a 73-year-old from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a 54-year-old man from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
To date, there are 19 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU); 99 in institutional isolation; 1823 in home isolation and six in institutional quarantine. In total, 13,453 persons have recovered completely.
Since the local COVID-19 outbreak began, 141,712 individuals have been tested – with 7843 males and 7900 females returning positive results.
New cases were reported in seven administrative regions: 13 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 137 in Region Four; four in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 15 in Region Six; two in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); 13 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 12 in Region 10.
In Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), there are 1104, 419 and 273 confirmed cases.
In his usual update, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday noted that the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) was yet to respond on claims it made that the Brazilian COVID-19 variant was present in Guyana.
He reiterated that only genetic sequencing could identify the presence of variants and the 10 samples analysed did not prove such. Given this, he questioned where the organisation got its information from.
“None of those samples we had seen anything that resembles a variant…Those are the only 10 samples that we’re aware of that went to a lab for sequencing. Where PAHO got its information, I don’t know. And that’s what we’re seeking to clarify: how they arrived at this conclusion that Guyana has variants circulating. We have not received that clarification as yet. We have sought that clarification from the local office here and we still await those clarifications, discussions,” Dr Anthony said on Thursday.
Advisor on emerging viral diseases at PAHO, Dr Jairo Mendez Rico had claimed during a webinar for Journalists that the Brazilian variant of the disease was present in Guyana. According to him, 37 countries in the Americas had reported the presence of variants as well.
When asked on Tuesday about this revelation, Minister Anthony said the Ministry was unaware of such news.
The four variants of concern include those that originated in the United Kingdom (B 1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), Brazil (P.1), and India (B.1.617). Dr Rico had noted that variants could increase lethality of viruses or change clinical patterns that could affect control measures, including vaccines.
Meanwhile, some 51 imported cases have been detected since the reopening of airports last October.
If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit  www.health.gov.gy.