-1020 tests conducted; 62 persons remain in isolation

THE past 24 hours have been good for Guyana, as five more persons recovered from the deadly Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease and the country recorded no new cases.
The recent development is a ray of hope for the country, given the consistent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past month. Ten persons have also lost their lives to the scourge.

There have been 113 confirmed cases of the disease to date, but as it is now, 41 of those infected persons have since recovered.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr. Karen Boyle, said 34 persons have been tested within the past 24 hours and of those tested, there are no new cases. Health authorities have so far tested 1,020 persons for the disease, with 907 of those persons being negative. Despite the high level of negative tests, some of the persons, who are infected, continue to feel the harsh consequences of the disease. Three of the infected persons are battling for their lives in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Saving those three lives remains important, but there was also some positive development in the ICU, as three persons were removed from the unit over the past 24 hours.
Some 62 persons, however, remain in institutional isolation and five persons are in institutional quarantine.

“As of yesterday (Monday), we have confirmed cases in seven of our 10 administrative regions…this is the situation we were trying to avoid when we instituted the guidelines, with the clear understanding that limiting the spread of this disease to as few regions as possible would have guaranteed us a quicker resolution.

“With this new development, our only hope is that you our citizens finally realise that unless you act responsibly, our health system is at risk of becoming overburdened with COVID-19 cases,” said Dr. Boyle during the daily COVID-19 update, on Tuesday.

The lessons learned from many countries that have managed to slow the rate of infection and contain this disease were either by forceful measures or by the disciplined participation of their citizens to join forces with the government.

Those citizens would have stayed at home when they were advised to; maintained the physical distancing in public spaces; washed their hands before eating, touching their face and before engaging in activities with others; cleaned the surfaces in their homes and places of work as often as possible; and reached out for medical attention when unwell or if they were knowingly in contact with a positive case.

“I can assure you that though these guidelines may seem simple and imposing, they worked. The questions you must now ask yourselves are: will you continue to doubt that COVID-19 is a killer, will you continue to act as per normal because it’s not in your community or will you finally get your act together?” Dr. Boyle asked.

Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) remains the epicentre of the disease, and there are a number of communities, outside of Georgetown, which have recorded cases. Among communities on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) where cases were recorded are: Atlantic Gardens, Friendship, Golden Grove, Good Hope, Lusignan, Plaisance, and Strathspey. Among communities on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) where there were cases are: Diamond, Grove, Land of Canaan, Providence, and Timehri.

Just recently, in an effort to improve the response to the pandemic, the Public Health Ministry had launched its mobile unit at the East La Penitence Health Centre, as well as at the community COVID-19 facilities of Region Four at Herstelling, on the EBD, and at Paradise, on the ECD.

“There are mobile units, especially in the epicentre of this pandemic that are visiting various communities; we need you to access these units. We continue to provide updated information through daily briefings and our communications campaign that is countrywide. We have an app for you to report to, as well as the hotlines,” said Dr. Boyle.

The measures can continuously be implemented, but it is up to the individuals, that is the average Guyanese, to adhere to those measures and think seriously about flattening the curve (reducing the spread).

“We must seriously think about flattening the curve and containing the spread of the virus so that we all can return to normalcy. Therefore, we ask you to put aside fear & stigma and come forward and provide the information so that your loved ones, your friends or acquaintances can avoid the risk of contracting this disease and possibly losing their life,” said Minister Lawrence.

There is, however, a glimmer of hope for society, as one more person recovered recently from COVID-19, taking the number of recoveries to 36.

The disease, however, remains a serious issue, not just in Guyana, but globally. And, according to global statistics, there are over four million cases of COVID-19, with over 278,000 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 Ministry of Public Health continues to work with the residents in the border communities to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease. Additionally, 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. These measures have been extended to June 3, 2020.