West Dem Hospital patient did not die from COVID-19
Regional Executive Officer, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall (with face mask) meeting with staff gathered outside the West Demerara Regional Hospital, last Friday
Regional Executive Officer, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall (with face mask) meeting with staff gathered outside the West Demerara Regional Hospital, last Friday

THE Regional Administration of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara (Region Three) has confirmed that the patient who died last Thursday at the West Demerara Regional Hospital tested negative for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a message on its Facebook page, it was indicated that the man did not die as a result of being infected with the coronavirus.
“Please be informed that the patient who passed away Thursday night… and was a suspect of COVID-19 did not die from COVID-19. The test results have confirmed that the deceased was never infected with COVID-19. Notwithstanding please continue to take all necessary precautions,” the post said.

The patient had presented symptoms of the virus when he was admitted to the hospital, and last Friday, staff of the hospital had assembled outside after they were barred from entering the compound, when they turned up for work.

According to reports, the gates were closed after the nurses for the screening area, set up at the hospital, did not turn up for work. A tent was set up at the hospital to facilitate the screening of persons seeking medical services.

When they were allowed in, the staff still refused to enter the compound. It was not until Advisor to the Minister of Public Health, John Adams, and Regional Executive Officer (REO), Jennifer Ferreira-Dougall, met with the staff and promised to have the hospital sanitised for a second time that the staff returned to the hospital.

Operations at the hospital have since returned to normal.
Guyana recorded its first case of the coronavirus on March 11, and has since recorded seven other cases. The first victim has since died. The first five cases were all related to each other. The last three cases were first announced by the Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, on Saturday.

Forty-four persons have been tested so far in the country, while the number of persons in institutional quarantine has risen to 31.

Declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the coronavirus has been responsible for almost 30,000 deaths since the first outbreak was recorded in Wuhan, China in December, 2019.

The virus has since spread to 202 countries infecting almost 635,000 persons as of Sunday, according to WHO statistics.

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