–Health Minister says

HEALTH Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony on Thursday dispelled the common misconception that the ‘rinsing’ of the nose with saline solution can prevent, or even decrease, one’s chances of contracting COVID-19. Minister Anthony, who made these statements during his daily COVID-19 update, stated that the only way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is through the use of face masks, social distancing, and practising proper sanitisation. As such, the Health Minister is encouraging persons to take all necessary precautions against COVDI-19, including taking any of the three COVID-19 vaccines currently being administered by the Ministry of Health.
Minister Anthony said that while vaccination rates have been increasing, there is still a significant way to go before the country could achieve herd immunity, which is essentially the immunisation of 80 to 85 per cent of the country’s adult population.
He related that it is with this in mind that the government has been taking steps to ensure its vaccination efforts are bolstered.

As at Thursday, July 1, 2021, 233,756 Guyanese have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. And of this amount, about 110,710, or 22.7 per cent of the adult population, have received both doses of the vaccine. “The vaccines that we have would certainly help us to get there, but we need people to come forward and take the vaccines, and I’m very hopeful that more and more people understand the importance of getting vaccinated, because, without vaccination, you are putting yourself and your family at risk. So, we want to constantly repeat that message, because that is very important,” the Health Minister said.
Another indicator of the government’s seriousness about achieving herd immunity is the arrival of 88,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.
The government purchased 100,000 doses of the vaccine from the manufacturer, and they will be used to immunise some 50,000 Guyanese.
With 88,000 doses of the vaccine already in Guyana, it was reported that the remaining 12,000 doses are expected to arrive from the manufacturer by tomorrow.

Minister Anthony said that 50,000 doses of those vaccines will be distributed for first- dose administration, while the remaining 50,000 will be kept in storage to ensure that anyone that takes the vaccine can be immunised within the stipulated timeline.
The Sinopharm vaccine, according to the Health Minister, will allow for an expanded reach across Guyana, as it does not require “ultra-cold” storage.
A major challenge which the government has encountered when attempting to immunise persons in hinterland communities and other far-flung communities across Guyana was getting the storage capacities for vaccines such as the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which requires a -20 degrees storage temperature.
“One of the advantages with this particular vaccine is that it does not require the ultra-cold storage, or the really cold storage, which is -20 degrees,” Dr. Anthony said, adding: “These are

vaccines that can be stored from two to eight degrees (Celsius), and we are very happy, because it allows us to move them to remote places as well.”
The government has been intensifying its vaccination drive across the country, through innovative means, so as to afford persons easy access to vaccination sites.
The Health Ministry has also launched several “drive thru” vaccination sites in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands- West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and intends to have this type of initiative extended to all of the country’s ten administrative regions. Additionally, the government has embarked on several house-to-house vaccination drives to reach those persons who might not be able to make it to a vaccination site.