Guyana now records 19 coronavirus cases; Health Minister calls for no discrimination against health workers

Last Updated on Wednesday, 1 April 2020, 17:26 by Writer

Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence on Wednesday announced that Guyana has now recorded 19 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, even as she appealed to public transportation operators not to stop carrying health workers.

“I now wish to make an appeal to all those who are bent on stigmatising our health workers – refusal of entry into public transportation, among others, to immediately put an end to this. You are certainly being irresponsible and weakening our line of response by your negativity,” she said.

Lawrence said “in this moment of crisis” we need to come together and “fight this war”.

The Health Minister said the number of confirmed cases has increased from 12 to 18, with 17 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Lawrence said 36 persons were now in institutional quarantine, and one of the 11 persons in isolation is in a COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU). She said 119 others were in home quarantine.

Globally, latest figures show that 750,890 persons around the world — about the size of Guyana’s population — have tested positive for COVID-19. Of that number, 36,405 persons have died.

In 51 countries in the Americas, figures show that 163,014 persons have contracted the virus and 2,836 have died.