Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony has said that while the number of cases is going up people should recognize that a number of cases listed have actually recovered.
“Our recovery rate is close to 80 per cent and that is in keeping with international norms. We also have a number of active cases. Currently we have 500+ active cases. This accounts for just under 20 per cent of the cases that we currently have.
“And the mortality rate is (just over two percent). When we look at what has happened with the pandemic. Globally, the number we have is approximately the same with the global trends.”
But Guyana’s figures are high when compared with some countries with larger populations. Dr Anthony insists that the recovery rate is remarkable.
He said that his government has set up a team that meets every week to undertake an epidemiological assessment of the pandemic. He said that the ensuing analysis would determine the direction in which the government should go.
“Many of the orders that we have issues are based on the guidance from the technical team of epidemiologists that we have been working with.
“We will continue to be guided by their recommendations and once those recommendations come to me I would then forward them to, or discuss them with the government.”
At issue is whether there should be a total lockdown in the face of the spiraling cases. There is the accusation that the government is sacrificing protection against COVID for the economy.
“We have to find a balance between lives and livelihood. Lives mean that we must protect the Guyanese because we don’t want anybody to get infected, hospitalised or in an ICU.
“We have to work on continuing to protect the lives of people. We can do so with the preventative measures that we have been talking about,” Dr Anthony said.
He said that the focus should be on personal safety. People must work and they have to do so in a safe environment.
“It’s not enough for Government alone to be involved. We have to embrace a whole society approach where every single person in our society must take on this responsibility to fight against the transmission of COVID-19 in Guyana.”
And while there is talk about prevention the situation at the Lusignan Prisons is frightening. As of yesterday, 140 prisoners tested positive for COVID-19. This started from an initial two.
“Some of those persons have been isolated at Lusignan itself because we have set up some isolation facilities there. Others have been taken off the Lusignan Prison and are in a secure location where they are receiving medical assistance.
“We have doctors who are working 24 hours at that facility along with other medical personnel.”
Dr Anthony said that his Ministry has been working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to institute measures at the other prisons.
He said that the conditions at the other prisons are known. They are overcrowded so any infected going there could cause a spread.
The plan is to have sanitation stations at these institutions and to have the prisoners wear masks.
