Four deaths have now been attributed to COVID-19 with the latest being that of a 59-year-old man at the Diamond Hospital last night.
This was confirmed by the Department of Public Information. No further information is available as his next of kin has to be notified.
Earlier in the day, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence announced the third victim of the deadly coronavirus as Osa Collins, a 78-year-old resident of New Amsterdam, who was among the 19 persons confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. She died yesterday afternoon at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
As has been seen in other countries, confirmed cases and deaths are beginning to rise significantly here and large scale testing has been seen as very helpful in helping to contain the disease. The rise in confirmed cases will lead to pressure on the health care system. A sister of the second person to succumb yesterday lamented the care that her brother Jermaine Ifill received at the GPHC. (See other story on page 12.)
Lawrence yesterday announced that seven additional novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases have been recorded in Guyana, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 19.
In a press release yesterday afternoon, she also confirmed the third fatality.
“The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and the Ministry of Public Health extend deep condolences to the family, relatives and friends of Ms Collins,” the release stated.
Collins was considered an imported case as she had recently travelled to the United States of America.
Ifill, who was a patient at the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), died on Tuesday morning. A 52-year-old woman, who was Guyana’s first recorded death from COVID-19, died on March 11.
While 16 persons are now confirmed to be actively infected with the respiratory disease, the number of persons in institutional isolation remains at 11, according to the data provided by Lawrence in the ministry’s daily COVID-19 update.
As of March 31, she revealed, the number of confirmed cases has increased from 12 to 19 with one inconclusive test result.
Seventeen cases with one inconclusive result were recorded in Region Four, while one each was recorded in regions Three and Six. The total number of persons that have been tested for COVID-19 now stands at 70 with 19 tests returning positive and 50 tests returning negative results, while one test returned an inconclusive result.
According to the minister, the number of persons in institutional quarantine is now 36 and of the 11 persons in institutional isolation, one person is a patient in the ICU while the number of persons under home quarantine known by the MoPH is 119. It is believed that Collins was the patient in the ICU.
Meanwhile, the minister revealed that Region One, Barima-Waini, has now put in place a number of precautionary measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. Lawrence said that the Mabaruma Regional Hospital has developed an external triage area and a coloured hand-band system for differentiation of cases. An isolation facility has also been identified and can accommodate eight to ten persons, while the quarantine facility can accommodate two persons.
The facility will be extended as time passes. Additionally, hand washing stations have been established at the entrance of the hospital and the cleaning staff have begun a daily routine of sanitisation of floors and surfaces.
The minister further noted that Region Six has extended its quarantine facility, which can now cater for an additional 30 persons.
In addition, she said, regions Two, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten now have their own regional COVID-19 hotlines.
“As it pertains in containing and mitigating the further spread of this virus, the ministry continues to strengthen community and hospital surveillance as well as the rapid response civilian team,” Lawrence said, before stressing that the ministry will continue to follow testing guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Stigmatisation
She also condemned the stigmatisation of healthcare workers, saying that without them, Guyana’s line of defence is non-existent and all efforts at combating COVID-19 will be futile.
“I now wish to make an appeal to those who are bent on stigmatising our health care workers, refusal of entry to public transportation, among others, to immediately put an end to this. You are certainly being irresponsible and weakening our line of response by your negative [actions]. In this moment of crisis, we need to work in concert and fight this war together. We need to give our overwhelming support to our health workforce, so health workers all across the ten regions,” she said.
Lawrence then addressed the health workers saying that the ministry appreciates their daily sacrifice and encouraged them to write their recommendations or concerns to the Regional Health Officers. She added that the staff of the GPH can submit theirs to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) George Lewis, while those working at private institution can submit theirs to the CEOs of their institutions and those officials can share those recommendations with the Medical Council.
COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new virus. The disease causes respiratory illness with symptoms including coughing, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing. It was first recorded in Wuhan, China and has since spread across the globe causing the WHO to label it a global pandemic.
The health ministry is urging all Guyanese to continue practicing social distancing and thorough hand washing, among other measures to help in containing the spread of COVID-19 in Guyana.
