— 14 persons in ICU

GUYANA has recorded nine new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the past 24 hours even as authorities anticipate a continued rise as more tests are being conducted across the country.
Authorities have so far tested 9,403 persons for COVID-19, with 7,935 being negative and 1,468 positive. But, 954 of those persons have since recovered while 46 persons have lost their lives.
Of the remaining cases, 52 persons are in institutional isolation and 402 are in home isolation while 14 persons are being treated in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Just Saturday, Guyana received the first batch of results from the 500 samples sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), but authorities said those results are still being processed and will be released soon.
The country had sent 500 samples to CARPHA, as part of an effort to reduce a backlog of samples in the system.
“We started receiving back results, but we did not get back all… we got the first batch but they are now processing the results,” said Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the emergence of asymptomatic cases had prompted authorities to distribute more sample kits across the country, especially to regions where the infection rate is high. Most of the cases have so far been recorded in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
“We are sending out more kits, so there will be an increase in sample collection… the testing itself has components… one is sample collection and then there is the processing of samples,” the minister said.
To this end, sample-taking sites have been established across the country, especially in ‘hotspot’ areas.