The number of persons with COVID-19 surged by seven overnight to 104.
Deaths remain at 10 while the number of persons in the Intensive Care Unit has risen from five to six.
Tests have been conducted on 914 persons, an increase of 62 overnight.
In recent days, there have been concerns about the spread of the virus to the Palms Geriatric Home. The 10th person to die from COVID-19 was an elderly male from there and at least one other person has tested positive. Residents and staff who were in contact with him have been quarantined.
Residents of nursing and geriatric homes are seen to be particularly vulnerable because of age and underlying conditions.
On Friday, staff of the Palms said they did not have adequate protective gear even as efforts continued to test and track those who may have come into contact with the two infected residents.
Some Palms nurses, who spoke on Friday on the condition of anonymity due to fear of being victimised, told Stabroek News that following the COVID-19 outbreak, they have been forced to wear one N95 face mask for three to five days. It was noted that the nurses were told to spray the masks and reuse them, however that practice is said to be unhygienic. “Friday last they gave us one N95 mask and tell us to wash and wear it for a week and they would give us another on Friday and we must sign for it,” said one staff member. Nursing homes were placed on lockdown several weeks ago and were not allowing visitors. However, staff come and go on a daily basis.
Meanwhile, as concerns continue to grow over the rising number of cases, the Ministry of Public Health on Saturday said that it is broadening testing to find asymptomatic COVID-19 patients.
For weeks the Ministry has been urged by various sections of society to expand testing for the virus.
Director of Regional and Clinical Services Dr Kay Shako said in a press release that “Since we have that high number of asymptomatic persons in our communities, we have expanded our screening to know all those persons who are COVID-19 positive”.
The release said that the rationale for broadening the groups of persons to be tested for the pandemic emerged out of growing concern that the previous guideline focused too narrowly on those who show physical signs and symptoms and others who were in close physical proximity to them.
To diversify the range of persons to be tested, the release said that PAHO/WHO Guyana Representative, Dr William Adu-Krow counselled MOPH officials to also set their sight on frontline health-care workers, persons with influenza-like conditions and those with pneumonia.
As a consequence, “our figures will definitely rise,” Shako said.
The release said that Dr Melissa De Haarte, Coordinator of Elderly Health at the Public Health Ministry confirmed on Saturday that there are currently no new admissions in elderly homes. “All homes are on lockdown…an elderly person needing to be admitted…must be screened and cleared before,” DeHaarte, said.
The State is upgrading all 15 of the 21 elderly homes under its care in the COVID-19 fight Dr Shako said. She said the remaining six NGO-operated homes will be closely monitored to ensure compliance with newly-established protocols to help stop the spread of the virus.
