…funds to be dispersed rapidly

THE United States government has made available G$100M to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and its partners to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19)
According to a statement from the US Embassy in Georgetown, through the generosity of the American people and the leadership of the U.S. government, the United States continues to lead the public health and humanitarian assistance to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to Guyana through the U.S. Caribbean Resiliency Partnership, the Regional Caribbean Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is releasing US$475,000 to help address Guyana’s priority areas of laboratory diagnostics and systems strengthening and supplies, surveillance, infection prevention & control, and emergency operation centers,”the statement said.

It was noted that the funds are part of a regional funding package of US$3,000,000 provided to support the current COVID-19 Response.

The embassy said that the regional office of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention will coordinate with Ministry of Public Health and its regional partners to disburse these funds rapidly and implement the activities.

Already a number of entities, who are partnering in the fight with the MOPH to stem the spread of the virus, have injected assistance into the government’s efforts to slow the COVID-19 curve. These include the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) which has been at the side of the MOPH ever since the pandemic and its effects became known globally.

Health authorities, on Thursday, reported that the number of confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Guyana moved from 70. With 18 cases being recorded last week, this increase shows a positive sign as authorities move forward to contain the spread of the disease.

Some 51 persons are, however, in institutional isolation while 17 persons are in institutional quarantine.