124 COVID-19 cases in nine weeks… Lab results are accurate- Public Health Ministry

Last Updated on Monday, 18 May 2020, 21:06 by Denis Chabrol

The Ministry of Public Health said the novel coronavirus situation is worsening and men are mostly responsible for the increased number of infections that now stand at 124 in just over two months.

“Today we are in our ninth week since the first case of COVID-19 was diagnosed and sad to say we have not begun to slow the rate of transmission as our numbers keep climbing every week,” Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, Director of Primary Health Care Services at the Public Health Ministry said.

She says the figures show that more men are being infected by COVID-19, as evidenced that six of the seven new positive cases in the last 24 hours are males, “a clear indication that this disease continues to spread predominantly among men.”

Dr. Hamilton says of the seven new cases, six are males. The seven new positive cases have pushed the total number to date to 124. The number of deaths remain at 10.

The Director of Primary Health Care Services says 45 have recovered, 69 are in institutional isolation and three are in Intensive Care Unit.

So far, 1,218 persons have been tested with the total number of positive cases being 124 with 1094 negative.

Dr. Hamilton indicated that the National Public Health Reference Laboratory’s COVID-19 results are accurate. “As you are aware, testing is ongoing at this facility and to date , we have had no incidence that can threaten the integrity of the results produced by the Laboratory.”

The senior Public Health Ministry official applauded the staff of the lab for “your outstanding efforts for making an impact in this pandemic, as we work towards containing this disease.”

The Guyana government has so far implemented a raft of measures aimed at curbing the disease. These include a 6 PM to 5 AM curfew, reduced physical presence of government employees at their workplaces, limiting to five the number of persons at funerals and weddings and the cancelation of all services at places of worship.

Meanwhile, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) on Monday discussed a review of the emergency measures, post-June 3, “in relation to the possible phased re-opening of the economy and airspace.”

The Task Force, however, said there was “need for further deliberations in this regard.”