The Ministry of Health recorded four new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, August 29; and 50 cases on Sunday, August 30. Guyana’s total number of cases now stands at 1,234.and six people died between Saturday and today.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony
Four deaths were reported over the weekend. On Saturday night, an 80-year-old man from Region Four became the 36th death.
He was followed by a 78-year-old woman of Region Nine. The elderly woman died at the Lethem Regional Hospital while receiving care. Doctors secured a positive test result after her death.
The 38th death was a 53-year-old woman from East Coast Demerara who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The 39th death was a 31-year-old woman of Region Six.
And today the Ministry reported two more deaths. These persons died by 10:00 hrs. They were an 89-year-old man from Region Nine and a 47-year-old woman from Region Seven. This report puts the death toll at 41.
There have been 21 recorded deaths for the month of August, which is the highest number of deaths in the five months that COVID-19 has been in Guyana. August also had the highest number of daily recorded cases, 74.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has said that 500 COVID-19 samples have been sent to be tested by the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago to clear the huge backlog here. The results from these samples should be available within 48 hours.
There are over 1,500 samples to be tested at Guyana’s National Public Health Reference Laboratory. More technicians are being trained and 24-hour shifts have been implemented at the lab. An automated Polymerase Chain Reaction Machine is also being procured which will reduce testing times from an average of about nine hours to two hours.
