-Health authorities working to ‘tighten’ measures to prevent transmission

GUYANA’S hinterland regions continue to be heavily impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), with 80 of the 268 active cases being recorded in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) alone.

“Our spike in Region Nine comes in the wake of the exponential increase in Brazil where new cases and deaths continue unabated,” said Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, during a virtual COVID-19 update, on Monday.
Amidst the rise in cases, health authorities will be looking to “tighten” control measures, in order to prevent the further transmission of the raging coronavirus disease.
In advising residents of Region Nine, Dr. Persaud said: “I plead with you to halt the illicit cross border movement, look out for the migrants and report their presence immediately to the Authorities; on a personal level, I ask you to co-operate and comply with the regulations of social distancing and the hygiene etiquette.”
This advice also applies to Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) where the infection rate is also high.

Health authorities have so far tested 4,893 persons, with 4,419 being negative and 474 positive. Of the positive cases, 185 persons have recovered and 21 persons have lost their lives.
And, according to Dr. Persaud, the regional distribution of positive cases include Region One, 22 per cent; Region Seven, 20 per cent; Region Nine, 19 per cent; and Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), 29 per cent.

“I wish to repeat Dr Tedros’ (DG of WHO) statement which I shared with you last week. He intimated, ‘It’s never too late; Even epidemics can be turned around’. I also think that we can thwart the trajectory of this disease; in the city, behave responsibly and respect the health guidelines; in our hotspots, Regions Seven and Nine, curtail your cross-border movement and minimize your exposure to the disease; in our mining communities, manage and control the influx of migrants and remember always to wear your masks in public,” said the CMO.
Guyana, on Thursday, took a major leap in the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, with the commissioning of its new Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, at the site of the former Ocean View Hotel. This “leap” is expected to radically improve the quality of service and infrastructure for patients and staff, as the country continues to battle COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, which may arise in the future.

COVID-19 remains a serious issue not just here in Guyana, but globally as well, and according to global statistics, there are 17.6 million cases of COVID-19, with over 680,000 deaths. And, with no approved treatment or cure, there is no assurance that persons will survive after contracting the disease.