-Screening ongoing at ports of entry

By Indrawattie Natram

THE atmosphere, on Wednesday morning, was one of curiosity, when the Regional Health Emergency Hotline in Region Two received a call that a suspected coronavirus case was being transported from Bartica to the Essequibo Coast.

The team responded immediately, and health officials, along with policemen, flocked the port of entry at Supenaam Waterfront. Medical officials attached to the Suddie Public Hospital were dressed in all-over white and had begun screening commuters who had utilized the speed boat service within the time of the report.

According to information reaching Guyana Chronicle, the hotline received a call that an employee, attached to a leading private group of companies in Region Two, had died mysteriously in the backdam. He had displayed symptoms of the coronavirus. Since then the camp had been closed and other workers attached to the camp were transported from the Bartica location to Parika then to Supenaam. The company boat was used to transport them.

When the medical officials reached Supenaam, however, the boat had arrived and the passengers had already left the port of entry at Supenaam. Officials then immediately went to Charity and began screening. Other passengers who came with other vessels were screened and those with high temperatures were monitored.

One young man who had a high temperature was taken away to the Suddie Public Hospital in the ambulance. He had reportedly come from the Interior and had told health officials that he was suffering from Malaria. When contact was made to the Suddie Public Hospital, a source disclosed that no one was, at that time in the isolation room at the hospital and that the person who was taken by the ambulance was being treated for Malaria.

However, since the video of the health officials screening persons went viral on social media, Essequibians began to panic. A source from the hospital disclosed that, as at Wednesday, Suddie Public Hospital did not have any suspected case. The source however disclosed that the hotline received a call about someone who was travelling from the interior with respiratory symptoms and had since responded promptly. The screening was conducted and the person was not suffering from any coronavirus symptoms. Meanwhile, Essequibians are calling on relevant officials to close all ports of entry within the Region, since cases could be imported.