…Five patients in ICU

GUYANA continues to record a consistent increase in the number of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, with the latest statistics showing that confirmed cases moved from 73 to 74 over the past 24 hours.

Information released by health authorities, on Saturday, showed that five of the infected persons are battling for their lives in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Just Friday, the number of COVID-19 related deaths moved from seven to eight.

In maintaining the fight against the disease, health authorities have been testing persons on a daily basis. And so far, some 442 persons have been tested, with 368 of those persons testing negative for the disease.

As part of efforts to contain the spread of the disease, health authorities have placed 54 persons in institutional isolation and 23 persons in institutional quarantine. To date, 12 persons have since recovered after contracting the disease.

In ramping up its response to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities will be introducing mobile testing units at various health centers across the country.

“As of Monday 27th April, 2020 in Georgetown, the MoPH (Ministry of Public Health) will launch its mobile units at the East La Penitence Health Centre. On the East Bank of Demerara at Herstelling; and on the East Coast of Demerara at Paradise, our COVID-19 health facilities will begin to provide services to persons along those corridors,” said Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence during a virtual update on the COVID-19 pandemic, Friday.

She explained that these operations will take place between the hours of 9:00hrs and 15:00hrs.

In addition to introducing these services at health centers, health authorities will be partnering with private institutions and supplying them with medical supplies for sample collection. Sample collection will be done on inpatients and outpatients, who may present with signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

Minister Lawrence said it is imperative to identify and equip “standalone facilities” which will be specifically outfitted for COVID-19 patients. “As part of this exercise, we will also be screening our frontline workers (health and non- health) both public and private across the ten administrative regions,” said the minister.

Globally, there are over 2.6 million cases of COVID-19, with over to 180,000 deaths. And with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease. In the absence of approved medications, governments and authorities across the world have employed a number of preventative measures to contain the spread of the disease.

The Guyana Chronicle had reported recently that Guyana is on course to “flattening the curve” and reducing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. This was according to Resident Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, who noted that this will only be possible if the government maintains the existing containment measures.

Locally, the government has extended its emergency measures to combat the dreaded disease, with the imposition of a 12-hour curfew on citizens. These emergency measures were taken pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of the directive issued by the President, in accordance with the Public Health Ordinance, Cap. 145, and published in the Official Gazette, Legal Supplement B, on March 16, 2020.

The measures at reference took effect from April 3, 2020, and are expected to last one month, unless earlier terminated, extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Public Health, after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions. “The measures in place are working, and individual measures are working too, but we need to ensure that government enforces the existing measures… The few persons who do not go by these measures need to comply; we need to see more improvement,” Dr. Adu-Krow said during a virtual press briefing on Friday.

REVISED PROJECTIONS

Already, there have been revised projections which show a reduction in the probable cases, but Dr. Adu-Krow said this new forecast can only be maintained if the measures that have been put in place are adhered to.