Reg 6 pensioner dies from COVID-19; 138 new cases

A 71-year-old male from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who had tested position for the novel coronavirus, has died.
According to the Health Ministry on Wednesday, at the time of his demise, the pensioner, who died on May 27, had been fully vaccinated, including with his first booster dose.
This latest fatality now brings Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,239.
Meanwhile, the Ministry reported that 138 more persons have contracted the virus, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 65,560, of which 30,144 are males and 35,416 are females.
Active cases in the country are now 1,016, which include one patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 27 persons in institutional isolation, and 988 persons in home isolation. Another 11 persons are also in institutional quarantine, while 29 persons are hospitalised across the country.
To date, some 63,305 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus.
During Wednesday’s update on the COVID-19 situation in the country, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony disclosed that Guyana has recorded some 82 imported COVID-19 cases so far since the borders were reopened in October 2020.
“Obviously, with the way the disease manifests itself, there can be persons who are positive but if they have been vaccinated or the test did not pick it up, then we wouldn’t have the information. But there are cases like that, where somebody might have tested negative but, when they came in, subsequently they display the symptoms of COVID-19,” he noted.
According to the Health Minister, once detected, those persons are advised to isolate themselves and take all necessary precautions against spreading the virus.
Nevertheless, he noted that the entry requirements for Guyana are still in place, including vaccination and negative PCR or antigen tests taken within 72 hours of arrival here.
Meanwhile, Dr Anthony reiterated pleas for persons to take steps to protect themselves and others, especially given that the current COVID-19 variants are very contagious and infectious.
“These are the most infectious variants we have right now; so, if you are not protected with a mask, you are going to get infected,” he stated.
Additionally, the Health Minister is urging persons to get vaccinated, and for those who are due, to get their booster shots.
“I want to continue to encourage persons to come out and get their booster doses,” he pleaded.
Currently, booster shots administered have increased to 66,264 doses. For adults 18 years and older, some 442,682, or 86.3 per cent of them, received their first shot, while 342,332, or 66.7 per cent, got their second doses.
As it relates to the adolescents from 11 to 17, first doses were administered to 34,750, or 47.6 per cent of them, of which 25,476, or 34.9 per cent, returned for their second shot.
This Saturday, June 11, the Ministry would start administering COVID-19 vaccines to children in the 5-to-10 age group. A drive-thru exercise would be held at the National Cultural Centre tarmac in Georgetown.
“We want to encourage the parents to bring their children, or the guardians to come and bring their children. You will have to make sure you give consent before we can do the vaccination. These vaccines are specially formulated for children,” Dr Anthony noted.
On Monday, Guyana received a donation of 52,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccines for children from the Government of Spain.