A resident of the Palms Geriatric home, who was close to another elderly patient who died recently from complications attributed to the Coronavirus, has tested positive for the virus.

This was confirmed by an official of the Ministry of Public Health this evening.

Reports are that the man, who is a diabetic,is being monitored by the authorities.More residents of the facility are being tested for the virus, and this publication understands that additional staff of the unit where the cases have been recorded, have been tested on Friday for COVID-19.

In total staff, 15 staff members have been tested and placed on quarantine.

While the facility has been on lockdown ever since the first cases of the Coronavirus were recorded here, staff would be allowed to take items for residents from their loved ones.In addition, the Guyana Chronicle understands that family members would take money to their relatives at the Palms on a monthly basis.

The Palms Geriatric Home houses close to 190 elderly persons.Their age range are listed in the high-risk population for the disease.

The deadly disease claimed the life of a 64-year-old male resident of the facility, on Monday, making him the tenth person to succumb locally due complications caused by the disease in Guyana.

“The gentleman, who was bedridden for a while, became ill sometime last week, however, the GPHC (Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation) was contacted and he was taken there, but before he passed on May 1, a test was administered. The results of the test, however, came back on Tuesday evening,” said Director of Social Services at the Ministry of Social Protection, Wentworth Tanner in an invited comment, on Thursday.

Once it was found that the man was positive, the Health Emergency Operating Centre (HEOC) deployed a team to commence contact tracing.