Health authorities to increase testing for COVID-19 in hinterland regions
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

WITH Guyana recording more “community transmission” of the deadly novel coronavirus, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said that more testing for COVID-19 will be conducted in hinterland regions to accurately track cases of infection.

The minister said the low number of positive cases in some regions are due to limited testing and as such it is difficult to have an accurate report on the situation in those areas.

“In every region, we have a number of cases but that varies because some regions are not testing, as much as they should. So, for example, In Region One, Region Six, Region Five, Region Seven, Region Eight, Region Nine and 10, they can do much more testing but they’re not testing as much, and, therefore, we might see that the numbers in those regions are artificially low. So, it’s an underestimate of what is currently happening in those regions,” Dr. Anthony said during Monday’s edition of the daily COVID-19 update.

Meanwhile, in terms of regional breakdown, Minister Anthony said the current hotspots in Region One are Port Kaituma, with 21 positive cases, and Mabaruma with 12 cases. He said that Region Two recorded 18 cases in Charity and 15 cases in Onderneeming.

Although those numbers seem low on the surface, the minister said those regions are not doing enough testing.
“In Region Three, we have seen a rapid increase in cases over the last week and now we have 65 cases in Tuschen, we have 45 cases in Parfaite Harmonie, we have 36 cases in Pouderoyen, Santa mission we have 35 cases and CI we have 33 cases,” Dr. Anthony said.

The minister said there has also been a rise in positive cases in Region Four, especially on the East Bank of Demerara.
“In Region Four, on the East Bank, at Diamond there are 110 cases, at Grove there are 91 cases, in Eccles we have 55 cases, Soesdyke 41, Timehri 39, Herstelling 38. There are other places on the East Bank where we have cases,” Dr. Anthony related.

The minister added that other hotspots in Region Four are on the East Coast Demerara, at Mon Repos, Haslington, Better Hope, Enterprise, Lusignan, Paradise, Good Hope, Plaisance, Enmore, Non Pariel and Annandale.

“In Georgetown again, every ward of the town we have cases… the ones that stand out would be Kitty at 84, Sophia with 75 cases, South Ruimveldt with 48 cases, Lodge with 43 cases, Campbellville 41, West Ruimveldt 41, Cummings Lodge 39 and again there can be more testing that can be done in these areas,” he said.

The hotpot in Region Five is Onverwagt, which recorded 20 cases, while New Amsterdam in Region Six has 20 cases. In Region Seven, 94 cases were recorded in Bartica and 24 cases in Isseneru.

In Region Nine, 19 positive cases were recorded at Aishalton, while 18 cases were recorded at Wismar, 17 at Amelia’s Ward and 14 at Mackenzie, Region Ten.

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