There are now 284 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Guyana following the confirmation of seven additional positive cases originating from the Mabaruma sub-district in the Barima-Waini region.
During the Ministry of Public Health’s daily COVID-19 update, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle yesterday revealed that out of 37 more tests that were done, the results of seven persons were positive, thereby increasing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 284.
The seven new cases have originated from Mabaruma, which is close to a COVID-19 hotspot, Santa Rosa. The Region now has at least 88 cases of COVID-19.
Additionally, Gordon-Boyle revealed that there are 143 active cases and 11 persons are now in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
She added that while 125 persons have recovered thus far, a sixteenth death had been recorded, in reference to 76-year-old May Portsmouth who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) due to COVID-19 complications on Sunday. On Saturday night, the fifteenth death, that of Donna Ambrose-Greaves, 25, of Region Nine, was recorded. She is the youngest COVID-19 fatality. Thirty-four-year-old Abdool Khan of Bartica and 42-year-old Kevin Ridley of Albouystown were the other two COVID-19 fatalities from last week.
“The number of positive cases continues to be a matter of grave concern for the Ministry of Public Health. Over the past week we have recorded 25 new cases distributed in regions One, Three, Four and Seven with four COVID related deaths,” Gordon-Boyle stated.
In relation to Portsmouth’s death, Gordon-Boyle mentioned the fact that the death was reported on radio before the woman’s family was notified by health officials and she said this was very unfortunate. “I implore members of the media to be sensitive to the fact that when there is a death, the family experiences pain and loss and that such information needs to come from health official who can impart the news to the family in an empathetic and caring manner,” she said before adding that confidentiality is imperative when dealing with medical matters, which includes COVID-19.
Meanwhile, Gordon-Boyle told Stabroek News that critical persons are being treated symptomatically. She noted that while they had used the controversial chloroquine drug, which is used to prevent or treat malaria, once or twice in the past, they have stopped using it. She revealed that they have also used blood plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients on two persons who were in a critical condition. She revealed that those two persons have recovered. When asked if they were considering other drugs that are used to treat the coronavirus in other countries, she said they are considering it.
Meanwhile, Gordon-Boyle also noted that persons continue to flout the COVID-19 guidelines. “Are we saying that we are uncaring about our life and those that are around us? Where has our appreciation for life disappeared to?” she questioned.
Gordon-Boyle revealed that ten health care workers have been infected with COVID-19 and have had to battle for their lives. She then pleaded with persons to consider their actions and envisage that a life can drastically change and end in fatality.
In addition, she repeated previous calls for repatriates to remember the agreement they made with government authorities before returning to Guyana and cooperate with the COVID-19 surveillance unit, who are tasked with checking up on them on a daily basis to see if they develops any signs or symptoms of the disease.
She also addressed the attempt to smuggle several Brazilian nationals to George-town. Gordon-Boyle described the actions by those involved in the scheme as irresponsible considering that those persons were ignorant of the Brazilians’ status and cognizant of the COVID-19 situation in Brazil. “As of today Brazil has recorded 1.63 million confirmed cases. This is just occurring close to our closed borders. Is money all that matters? What about your life? We need to be wary of all that is happening around us. Our cases are climbing and so are our deaths. We may not get a second chance and our carelessness can put our health care workers lives at risk. Do your part,” she stated.
The Regional Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine Carl Parker told Stabroek New yesterday that the region still has a total of five confirmed cases, three of which are active and one person has recovered.
Guyana has seen a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases during the past few days in regions One and Seven. The Health Ministry announced that due to this mass testing will be conducted in those regions, and specifically the Moruca sub-district in Region One and Aranka in Region Seven. Regional officials in Region One reported that testing had not commenced up to yesterday while the Regional Executive Officer of Region Seven Kerwin Ward stated that a health team went into Aranka on Sunday but he is not sure if it has started.
