– Four patients in ICU

GUYANA’s COVID-19 cases have increased to 568 as of Sunday, with the addition of 14 new cases. Meanwhile, another patient has been added to the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) thereby increasing the number of ICU patients to four, according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Health last Sunday.
The number of active cases has now increased to 357, while the number of persons in institutional quarantine has increased to 47, up from 38 the previous day. The active COVID-19 cases are in institutional isolation.

The number of recovered cases remain at 189, while the number of deaths remain at 22.
Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo; Potaro-Siparuni Region Eight), Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven) and Demerara-Mahaica (Region Four) continue to account for the new COVID-19 cases, and were the only regions to report new cases.

Chief Medical Officer Shamdeo Persaud, last Friday, noted that hinterland regions in Guyana continue to feel “the brunt of the viral presence”, and pleaded with all to take safety measures seriously and dispel myths about the virus.
Of the 35 new cases of COVID-19 that were recorded from August 3 – 5, only eight per cent were from the capital city, Georgetown, while Region Seven accounted for 48 percent of that number; Region Nine accounted for 33 percent and Region Eight six per cent. The positive cases accounted for approximately 21 per cent of the 164 persons that were tested across that period.

“Heightened efforts to control the spread of the disease must be a priority,” Persaud said, while delivering the daily update via video posted on the MoPH website last Friday.

He added that: “I urge you to listen attentively to the health authority and follow the guidelines. They are trained to protect you not put you at risk. Let us all educate ourselves and dispel myths. Wearing a mask helps to prevent the disease. Let us spread the correct message even in the remote communities and support all our health departments. This will certainly save lives.”

With the country having recently celebrated Breastfeeding Week, Persaud took the opportunity to call on mothers of newborns and young babies to take particular caution in ensuring their adhere to safety measures to protect the babies as much as possible from the being infected with the virus.
“During the period of the COVID-19 all mothers must make the adjustment and take precautions to protect themselves. Wipe surfaces, handwashing too is important and must be prioritised. Wearing mask in public domain should be adhered to. You are coming home to baby who you want to protect,” Persaud noted.
Persaud also called on repatriated of nationals not to disregard the guidelines that they agreed to prior to returning home to Guyana you agreed to before you returned; he also applauded the work of frontline medical officials who have been conducting contact tracing as well as those functioning in the COVID-19 testing labs.