Region 4 man is latest COVID-19 victim

…88 new cases recorded

Guyana’s COVID-19 death toll now stands at 221 after another person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus died.
According to the Health Ministry, the latest fatality is a 69-year-old male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) who died on Wednesday while receiving care at a medical facility.
This most recent death is the sixth COVID-19 fatality thus far this week. The week began with the death toll at 215, but that figure increased after a 69-year-old male from Region Four died on Sunday. The following day, two more persons succumbed – a 74-year-old female from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), who died while receiving care at a medical facility, and an 82-year-old male from Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), who died at his home. A subsequent swab test, done on arrival of the body to a medical facility, revealed that the elderly man had COVID-19.
Then, on Tuesday, two more persons who tested positive for COVID-19 died. They were two males – a 50-year-old and a 48-year-old – both from Region Three.

New cases
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry also reported on Wednesday that 88 more persons have tested positive for COVID-19 in Guyana.
According to the updated COVID-19 dashboard, the country’s total number of confirmed cases is now 9820 – 5023 males and 4797 females.
However, only 968 of these cases are currently active. These include 12 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 956 persons in isolation – 56 in institutional isolation and 900 in home isolation.
Additionally, there were also 19 persons in institutional quarantine.
Some 8632 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus in the country to date – 30 more recoveries than the figure reported the previous day.
A total of 84,486 persons have been tested thus far for the novel coronavirus in Guyana.
Of the 88 new cases recorded on Wednesday, 13 were detected in Region Three; a whopping 49 cases in Demerara-Mahaica; one case each in Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); 18 in Cuyuni-Mazaruni, and six cases in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
The figures in the other four regions – Region One (Barima-Waini), Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) – remained the same.
In order to curb the spread of the virus and reduce the country’s death toll, Guyana rolled out its vaccination campaign last week and has thus far inoculated more than 15,500 persons.
The exercise started with 3000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine donated by the Barbados Government. These were given to frontline medical workers.
Then Guyana received 20,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China, followed by a whopping 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford jab from the Indian Government.
Another set of doses is expected through the COVAX mechanism and within the next two weeks, an additional 50,000 doses of the Russia-developed Sputnik vaccines will reach Guyana’s shores.
Elderly persons and those with comorbidities along with members of the Joint Services and teachers are currently being vaccinated.
Meanwhile, health authorities are reminding all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures (No 15), which were extended for this month and would be in effect until March 31, 2021.
Among these measures is the 22:30h (10:30pm) to 04:00h (4:00 am) national curfew which remains intact. Restaurants and places of worship continue to operate at 40 per cent capacity. Gyms are to operate at 50 per cent capacity while sporting events are only permitted with approval from the Health Minister.
The order further emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, the importance of maintaining six feet of physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as of Wednesday, some 123,902,242 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 2,727,837 deaths.
WHO also reported on Wednesday that in the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has increased to 54,394,715 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 1,309,398. (G8)