GUYANA has now recorded 865 new COVID-19 cases and six deaths, including the death of a 14-month-old baby boy within the last 24 hours, according to a release from the Ministry of Health.

In his daily COVID-19 briefing on Friday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, said it was difficult to determine how long the COVID-19 wave would last, adding that all precautions were necessary.
Turning his attention to COVID-19 cases at places of work, Dr Anthony said employers must enforce vaccination policy including the need for booster shots.

He emphasized the need for persons to wear their masks to properly cover their noses and mouths.
“Unfortunately, the mask has become like a style. People are wearing it under their nose, they are wearing it under their chin, and if you wear it like that, it’s not going to have any value,” the health minister bemoaned.

Dr Anthony said that it was not only about government enforcing regulations. “Each one of us would have to take on our own set of responsibilities. Individually, we have the responsibility to do the right thing. If we are in a work environment, in that environment, we need to ensure that things are done properly,” he added.

The Health Minister believes the lack of personal responsibility on the part of the population was gravely affecting the country’s fight against the deadly COVID-19 virus.
Dr Anthony said in Latin America and the Caribbean, there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases by 78.8%, and, in Europe, an increase by 37%.

“This is not unique to Guyana. We live in a global connected environment, and what happens elsewhere would also impact us in Guyana,” the health minister cautioned.

Some 28,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines are expected in Guyana, today, Dr Anthony confirmed. This donation, from the Kingdom of Spain, boosts Guyana’s aggressive vaccination drive to ensure the entire population is immunized, thus reducing the likelihood of death from the virus.

Dr Anthony warned that, with the Omicron variant, persons should get the COVID-19 booster shot as that creates the best possible defence against the variant that is more easily spread than any other variant previously, and which presents very similar symptoms to the flu.

Guyana’s adult vaccination rate now climbs to 81.3% with some 416,994 persons already receiving a first dose vaccine. For second dose vaccination, 303,373 persons or 59.1% of the adult population has been inoculated.
For children between 12 to 17 years, 31,525 adolescents have received first dose vaccines, and 22,309 adolescents have received their second dose vaccines. 24,509 doses of COVID-19 booster shots have been administered.