Guyana now has 8 confirmed cases of COVID-19

Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence on Saturday confirmed that three additional persons have tested positive for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) bringing Guyana’s list of confirmed cases to eight.

Those persons have been placed in isolation at a health facility.

During her live update on Facebook Saturday, the Minister did not disclose whether the new confirmed cases are related to the first five persons of Good Hope, East Coast Demerara. She also did not state how the three persons contracted the disease or which region they are from.

The number of death remains at one.

Guyana reported and confirmed its first case of the disease on March 11 which resulted in the death of a woman who had travelled from the United States.

Her husband, two sons and a 13-year-old child have since tested positive for the virus; they remain in isolation at a health facility.

The Minister noted that there are now 44 persons who have been tested for the disease.

The PAHO/WHO recently donated 1,100 test kits to the Ministry.

Lawrence said the number of persons in institutional quarantine remains at 31 while the number of persons quarantined at home has decreased.

Psychosocial support will be provided to those in need.

Minister Lawrence said there are now facilities in each of the ten administrative regions in Guyana to cater for persons who may be in need of institutional quarantine.

Those facilities can cater to 134 persons in addition to the four facilities in Regions Three and Four which cater for 350 persons.