16 new COVID-19 cases

Guyana continues to record double digit new daily COVID-19 infections with another 16 cases being recorded in the last testing cycle.

Some 115 more persons were tested. The new positive cases bring the total number of recorded cases in Guyana to 554. The positive cases account for 10.4 percent of number of persons who have been tested. A total of 5280 persons in Guyana have been tested so far for the virus.

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Of the new cases 10 were male and six were female. The new number increases the number of active cases to 343, all of which are under institutional isolation. The number of persons in institutional quarantine continued to remain at 38, while the number of recovered cases also remain at 189.

There have been no new recoveries since last Wednesday when three persons recovered. However, three persons are currently in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Thus far twenty-one persons have died, the latest death having been last Tuesday, when a 79-year-old man from Georgetown died.

In Guyana, the virus is rampant in the interior regions, particularly the Cuyuni Mazaruni (Region Seven); Potaro Siparuni (Region Eight) and Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo (Region Nine).

Last week Chief Medical Officer, Shamdeo Persaud, during a video update noted that of the new cases recorded from August 3 – 5 48 percent of the cases were from Region 7; while 33 percent were from Region Nine; six percent of the cases were from Region Eight. Eight percent of the cases were from Region Four, more specifically from the capital city of Georgetown.

With the recent change in government, the new Ministry of Health (MoH) is currently embarking on a restructuring of the country’s response to dealing with the virus. Last Friday, Prime Minister Mark Phillips chaired a COVID-19 Policy Coordination Meeting, which was also attended by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony; former Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy; the United Nations Coordinator; representatives from CARICOM, the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).