…travellers who arrived from China urged to contact nearest health facility

While taking extreme precautions amidst growing global health concerns regrading the coronavirus, the Ministry of Public Health may deny entry to persons travelling to Guyana from China

According to a release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, the Ministry of Public Health has advised that persons in China who plan to travel to Guyana are asked to defer those plans until further notice as they are likely to be denied entry.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry said that persons here in Guyana, who plan to travel to China, are advised to postpone those plans and it noted too that persons arriving in Guyana from China, will be subject to quarantine protocols and may be quarantined in a health facility or at home, depending on the outcome of the risk assessment.

The ministry also urged all recent travelers from China who arrived after January 1, 2020 are asked to contact their nearest health centre or hospital urgently AND to remain at home for 14 days after date of arrival.

Those who must travel to and from China are advised to take precautions against contracting the virus by avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, crowds and the consumption of uncooked food; universal precautions to take include the frequent washing of hands, especially after direct contact with ill persons or their environment. Travelers with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should also practice cough etiquette, that is, maintain distance from others, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissue or clothing, and also frequently washing their hands.

The ministry said that should flu like symptoms arise within 14 days after return to Guyana from China or another highly affected country, persons are asked to call the hotline on 592 227 8683 ext 215

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Chinese authorities have confirmed that the new virus, Novel Coronavirus, similar to the virus that causes the common cold, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome), originating in Wuhan, has afflicted a number of persons in China and a number of other countries.

Whilst the death rate associated with the virus is low at around 2% the infection rate, its spread, has been termed ‘worrying’ by the WHO. Common symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

More severe infections can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and even death. WHO’s report as of January 30th, 2020 indicated that the number of reported confirmed cases of the virus is over 7,000 distributed across the Chinese mainland and territories. Although the infected cases have been confirmed in several other countries including the USA, fatalities have been limited to China.