The Ministry of Public Health has confirmed that four Venezuelan migrants have been detained after they breached home quarantine protocols in an attempt to travel to another region of Guyana.
A report from the Department of Public Information yesterday quoted de facto Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence as noting that the four persons were en route to Mahdia and Lethem.
“They were intercepted and placed in institutional quarantine thanks to the team work of the (COVID-19 taskforce) and the Guyana Police Force,” Lawrence announced.
She further explained that the migrants were initially placed under home quarantine after there were some concerns raised about them displaying COVID-19 symptoms.
The report reminded that persons in institutional quarantine are required to remain there for 14 days during or after which a test for the novel corona virus (COVID-19) is conducted.
If a person tests positive they are transferred to an isolation facility where treatment is administered, however if the test is a negative a medical evaluation is carried out by a doctor before clearance is given for the persons to be released from quarantine. Non-compliance presents a risk to the wider population.
In light of the danger posed by the pandemic Lawrence reiterated that “persons on home quarantine need to adhere to guidelines when asked, for their sake and others.
“Let me remind everyone of our responsibility to comply with the regulations and guidelines provided by the Ministry of Public Health to halt the spread of this pernicious disease among us,” she is quoted as saying.
Last month Guyana repatriated a number of students and others on a flight from Barbados.
The passengers all agreed to undergo 14 days quarantine before going home to their families and 21 of these persons have since done so after testing negative for the virus and displaying no signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
