Guyana’s confirmed COVID-19 cases are now at 125 as one new case has been recorded based on the latest testing.
There continues to be a gradual rise in the number of cases despite the measures put in place to curb the spread of the disease.
During the Ministry of Public Health’s COVID-19 update, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton stated that out of some 51 more persons that were tested, one new case was recorded. That brought the total number of persons tested up to 1,269.
Additionally, 46 persons have now recovered from the disease. Dr. Hamilton clarified that the recovered cases account for persons who were medically cleared and who can no longer infect others.
Sixty-nine of the recorded cases are active cases and are currently in institutional isolation, while three persons remain in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the number of deaths remain at ten.
Hamilton stated that even as persons applaud the health care workers that are on the frontline, they need to also look at their actions which contribute to the rise of the COVID-19 cases. “Unless we change our behaviours not only will our numbers increase …our return to normalcy… will be unnecessarily long,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Technologist at the National Blood Transfusion Service Nataline Seepersaud gave a special presentation during the update and provided information as to why donating blood is important during this time.
Seepersaud said that as blood has a limited shelf life, the need for blood always exists and therefore the need for blood donations from voluntary donors will remain throughout the pandemic to ensure the availability for patients who are in dire need. She assured that the protection of donors, recipients and staff is the top priority as measures are in place at the blood banks and blood collection sites to provide the “highest level of safety”.
Some of those measures include social distancing protocols between donors and staff, increasing the frequency of sanitizing of surfaces, equipment and common areas. Further, she reiterated that one unit of blood can save up to three lives as she urged persons to come out and donate blood.
