The indigenous village of Kanapang, in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), recently recorded six cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and all of those infected are asymptomatic, the Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Charissundra Abdool-Faizoul has revealed.
Region Eight now has recorded a total of nine COVID-19 cases, of which seven are active. During an interview, Abdool-Faizoul said the six COVID-19 cases that Kanapang has recorded are all imported. Although they six patients did not show any symptoms prior to being testing, the RHO said it was revealed all six of them had recently travelled to Brazil and back to Guyana, hence they were tested. She added that those persons have been travelling over to Brazil to buy groceries and collect their monthly pensions. “They are crossing for their own benefit,” she explained.
Abdool-Faizoul disclosed that those persons were ordered to self-isolate, while their families were placed in quarantine at their respective homes.
She then noted that the team that was sent into the communities in the North Pakaraimas to conduct screening and testing had returned early last week.
She said they collected samples from a total of 35 persons during their visit. It was out of the 35 samples taken that the six positive cases emerged.
In addition, the RHO said that health workers in those areas were trained to do swabbing and as a result there would be no need for a team to be dispatched to do further testing. She noted that those health workers will also monitor the isolated patients and if there is an increase in cases, the health workers in the sub-district are trained to act as a team. “An entire health team doesn’t have to go [into the communities], the health workers were trained,” Abdool-Faizoul said.
Meanwhile, she revealed that the region’s first confirmed COVID-19 patient is still in institutional isolation at Mahdia and is awaiting his test results, which will determine whether he will be discharged.
The Indigenous community of Itabac has also recorded 2 COVID-19 cases. They are both considered recovered since they were also asymptomatic.
