Gov’t sets up four facilities for Coronavirus victims - No more self-quarantine

Gov’t sets up four facilities for Coronavirus victims – No more self-quarantine

Mar 18, 2020 News

“The government has set up four major quarantine sites for the victims who have been tested positive for Coronavirus. Also, anyone who tests positive for the Coronavirus will be subjected to mandatory quarantine instead of self – quarantine.”
This is according to Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence.

Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence

At a press conference yesterday to discuss Guyana’s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) the health minister stated that, “We have started to work along with agencies and businesses so that they could put measures in place to not have more than 50 workers in one place at a specific time”.
Kaieteur News understands that the three persons that have tested positive for the virus have already been transported to one of the quarantine units. They will remain there until their conditions develop.
According to sources, the facilities were set up mainly because the COVID-19 victims were refusing to self- quarantine.
The three persons that have been tested positive for the Coronavirus are related to the Good Hope, East Coast Demerara victim that recently died.
Lawrence further stated that in light of COVID-19, the Ministry of Public Health has reached out to the Guyana Revenue Authority, Guyana Elections Commission and the Guyana Football Federation, among other entities, so that new methods could be put in place in order to prevent overcrowding.

Persons at the city hospital wearing safety gear

She explained that the three terms used to describe cases of COVID-19 are Suspected, Confirmed and Probable.
A suspected case is someone with an acute respiratory illness such as fever and has not been in contact with a confirmed or probable COVID-19 case within the last 14 days.
A probable case is a suspected case that has been tested for COVID-19 but comes back inconclusive.
A confirmed case is a person who would have tested positive for the virus.
Lawrence also stated that in Guyana, the National Public Health Reference Laboratory is the only place that is equipped to carry out testing for COVID-19.
As of now there are no vaccines of specific medications to treat Coronavirus, so precautions such as washing of hands, sanitizing of area and ensuring that you keep a distance of two to three metres away from persons, are the basis precautions that one needs to adhere to in order to avoid contracting the virus.
The total number of confirmed cases in Guyana remains at four.