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Residents urged to take necessary precautions
Upsurge of COVID-19 cases in Berbice…
By Malisa Player Harry
Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Minister Frank Anthony engage some residents.
Kaieteur News – There has been an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases in Region Six, with New Amsterdam and Albion identified as the current hotspots. This was the disclosure of Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, an advisor to the Health Minister, during a visit to Region Six.
Dr. Ramsammy, who was in the company of the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, made it clear that “there is an upsurge of COVID cases in Region Six.” He continued, “People think we got vaccine (and) we don’t have to be careful anymore but that is a mistake and so as we are speaking, Region Six is showing an upsurge, what we call the third wave of COVID.”
As of Sunday, there have been 31 confirmed cases in the Region with the majority in the areas of New Amsterdam and Albion on the Corentyne. The remaining cases are spread throughout different villages in the Region.
Dr. Ramsammy is moreover urging those living in the areas which have been identified as hotspots to “avoid crowds, stay at home and if you have to leave, wear a mask and sanitize.”
“Don’t take a chance. For all those mothers and wives, make sure your husbands don’t go to the bars and hang out because these are the places where they are picking it up and bringing it back home,” he advised.
On Sunday, Health workers were conducting a swabbing exercise in Albion. “For weeks people in Albion been gathering in crowds at the local bars and supermarkets and the police that deh couple house away does pass and see the crowd and do nothing. So they encouraging the slackness and that’s how we get so many cases now…the people dem drinking daily out deh plenty and nobody not doing anything,” a frustrated resident said.
Meanwhile, Regional Health Officer, Dr. Vishalya Sharma, disclosed that over 3,000 persons, above the age of 60, have been vaccinated in Region Six thus far. But she noted too that there have been several reports of persons far below the age of 60 receiving the vaccine as well.
An elderly man in his 60s told this publication, on the basis of anonymity, that when he showed up to be vaccinated at the Skeldon Hospital vaccination site, he was required to wait for hours. He said that while he waited he saw several persons, who he knew were very young, being vaccinated. The man said he turned up at the site very early and left the site hours later without being vaccinated. He said he was forced to visit another site to be vaccinated the following day.
“It was absolute madness and they saying only people 60 and over getting vaccine, but plenty people I know who very, very young getting it. It’s like the authorities don’t have no control over the process. It was massive confusion; there were other people my age that were there complaining too,” the man said.
Minister Anthony, Dr. Ramsammy and RHO Sharma were able to visit all the testing sites in Berbice on Sunday. There are currently testing sites at the New Amsterdam Hospital, Number 47 Health Centre, Port Mourant Health Centre, Brothers Health Centre, Mibicuri Health Centre and the Skeldon Hospital. The vaccination campaign, Dr. Anthony said, will now be focused on persons 50 years and older.
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