No new COVID-19 cases

…1 new test in 24hrs
…bordering villages worry over Brazil pandemic

No new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Guyana over the past 24 hours, the Public Health Ministry reported on Wednesday.

The daily update was delivered by Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who said that the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Guyana remains at 139, the same as on Tuesday.
The number of COVID-19 deaths is still 11, with the most recent case recorded on Monday following the death of 59-year-old Vincent Torres, a resident of the Moruca Sub-Region in Barima-Waini. Prior to this, the last COVID-19 related death was recorded on May 6, 2020.
According to Dr Persaud, the total number of persons tested for COVID-19 to date is 1,500, of which 1,361 were negative. However, on Tuesday, the number of persons tested was given as 1,499, which meant that within 24 hours, only one new test was conducted.

Nevertheless, there are 61 active cases in institutional isolation and eight in institutional quarantine. To date, 67 persons have recovered from the life-threatening disease, while two patients remain in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there are some 5,488,825 coronavirus cases globally, with the death toll at 349,095. Meanwhile, in the Region of the Americas, the total number of cases is 2,495,924, and there are 145,810 deaths recorded.
During Wednesday’s update, the Chief Medical Officer noted that the Ministry is very concerned over this development, especially in neighbouring Brazil, which continues to be the epicentre of the novel coronavirus in the Americas, having registered more than 600 deaths in the past 24 hours alone.
He pointed out that the virus has now spread to three of Guyana’s four hinterland regions.
“Our Regions did initiate very early a gamut of measures to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease, but you recognize that we have absolutely no control over the situation in our bordering country. The Ministry is gravely concerned at the alarming situation emerging just across and along our borders, as our indigenous brothers and sisters are at extremely high risk for the influx of imported cases and for contracting the disease,” he stated.

Bordering villages
Meanwhile, Dr Chrissundra Abdool, Regional Health Officer of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), joined Wednesday’s briefing to share some of the regional interventions to fight the coronavirus.
She noted that with a number of villages in the North Pakaraimas Sub-District One bordering Brazil, the situation is worrying. As such, they are working on strengthening presence at the border to curb illegal crossing.
To date, Region Eight has had four suspected cases, with 40 persons having to be quarantined as a result. All of those tests were negative, and those persons were released from quarantine after spending 14 days therein. While there have been seven samples taken for testing with no confirmed case to date, the RHO noted that there is one suspected case that is awaiting results, and contact tracing is already being conducted.
In its preparation to fight COVID-19, the Region has already sat with quarantine and isolation facilities to cater for suspected or confirmed patients respectively, and testing kits are available. She further stated that the region’s Emergency Response Task Force meet 72 hours and that sensitisation of the population and dissemination of vital information on COVID-19 have been undertaken.
In addition to its regional hotline on 608-7517, Region Eight has also set up a checkpoint at Seballi Landing, where persons are screened before crossing over to Mahdia; and another screening area has been set up in the vicinity of the Mahdia District Hospital.
Moreover, Dr Persaud lamented during Wednesday’s update the nonchalant and laissez-faire behaviour of Guyanese, who seem to be unappreciative of the efforts, especially by frontline workers, who are risking their lives to protect others in the fight against COVID-19.
“One death is already too many, and we have eleven. Please note that our sister CARICOM countries have begun to see a decline in their numbers, yet we have an almost runaway situation. Over the past four days, twelve new cases were confirmed. Our efforts in limiting the spread of this disease are dependent on all of us. If we do not want to end up as the PAHO model indicated, with an exponential rise in positive cases and deaths that will overwhelm our health system,” the CMO noted.