THE novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed the life of 74-year-old, Berl Macey, taking the death toll to 86.
The Guyana Chronicle was reliably informed that the victim was a patient of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC)’s COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where she died while receiving treatment on Saturday morning.

The Ministry of Health expressed condolences to the family of the victim, and pledged to make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time.
Officials of the ministry have since contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who might have been exposed to the victim.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus. Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms, and recover without special treatment.

The WHO had said that 81 per cent of the persons who contract COVID-19 will have mild symptoms while 14 per cent will have severe symptoms, and five per cent will need intensive care.
In Guyana, health authorities have so far tested 14,613 persons, with 11,552 proving negative, and 3,005 positive. Some 37 new cases were recorded within the past 24 hours alone.
While 1,907 persons have recovered from this disease, 86 persons have died and there are 1,107 active cases which include 144 persons in institutional isolation, 851 in home isolation, and 18 in the COVID-19 ICU.

Considering these numbers, persons were encouraged to take extra precaution because there is no approved cure or specific treatment for the disease. Guyanese were also reminded to observe the protocols established in the COVID-19 emergency measures.