As COVID-19 cases in the country continue to rise, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) which is now being severely affected by the outbreak, has now recorded 48 cases.
In a media release through the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the Regional Health Officer, Dr Edward Sagala, stated that the total number of positive cases in the entire region is 48 and 11 of those cases that are recorded are from Bartica. In the region there are currently 17 persons in institutional isolation.
Dr Sagala in the release noted that out of 100 individuals who were recently tested at Aranka by a visiting team from the Health Emergency Operation Centre, only six were positive, even as Aranka, Bartica and Oku remain areas of concern in the region.
The release explained that as Region Seven is the second largest region in the country, its size and geographic peculiarities along with limited accessibility to communities create challenges in ensuring that proper health care is provided. It went on to say that some communities can only be accessed by river or air transportation as roads are in bad condition or non-existent in some areas.
As a result of a collaborative effort between the RDC, Ministry of Public Health and Civil Defence Commission (CDC), a three-day visit is being conducted to villages including, Arau, Kaikan and Eteringbang, where a number of activities will be carried out. The visit began yesterday and is expected to conclude on Saturday. Pre-fabricated housing facilities will be set up in each village while COVID-19 screening will be conducted along with an assessment of the movement of persons and their adherence to the emergency measures in the villages.
Additional training for health care providers will also take place and the team is expected to provide adequate amounts of personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and medication including vaccines for children.
