Guyana records decline in COVID cases, hospitalisations and deaths

For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic hit these shores in March 2020, Guyana is now seeing a decline in infections, deaths, and hospitalisations, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony revealed on Tuesday.

The Health Minister did not state the reason for the decline but is cautiously optimistic that this trend will continue. There has been one COVID-19 death within the past 24hrs; Guyana’s COVID-19 mortality rate is every 12 persons to 10,000.

“Across the country, we have started seeing a decline in cases,” Dr Anthony said during his daily COVID-19 update on Tuesday.

According to data released by Dr Anthony, there are 60 people hospitalised across Guyana; of this number 35 are at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. Significantly, there are 14 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital.

“This is a drastic change from what we had a couple of weeks ago when we were seeing about 100-120 cases at Ocean View,” Dr Anthony stated.

However, Dr Anthony noted that the ministry continues to record positive cases in pregnant women. There are currently three pregnant women who tested positive for the virus; they are hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

“We are still seeing a lot of pregnant women who are coming in with COVID, and especially if it is that time around delivery, it can pose a number of challenges to those mothers,” Dr Anthony emphasised.

There has been a significant decline in cases countrywide. A regional breakdown of the current hotspots was provided by the Health Minister.

Positive COVID cases in Region Three include; Tuschen (55 cases), Parfaite Harmonie (50 cases), Pouderoyen 50 (cases), Parika (49 cases), Crane (46 cases), Zeelugt (42 cases), Cornelia Ida (40 cases), Vreed-en-Hoop (38 cases) and Hague (33 cases).

Region Four on the East Bank of Demerara; Diamond (49 cases), Grove (42 cases) and Herstelling (24 cases).

Georgetown; Sophia (41 cases), Kitty (34 cases), Campbellville (33 cases) and Cummings Lodge (21 cases).

East Coast Demerara; Enterprise (18 cases), Mon Repos (16 cases), Triumph (16 cases) and Lusignan (15 cases).

Mahdia, Region Eight (32 cases).

Region Ten; Wismar (56 cases), Amelia’s Ward (37 cases) and Mckenzie (17 cases).

Vaccination 

To date, 383, 013 (74.7 per cent) adults received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, however, the country continues to lag behind in administering the second dose.

A total of 245, 932 (47.9 per cent) received their second dose. For children between the ages 12 and 18, 27, 498 received their first dose while 18, 385 received their second dose.