As of the 30th July 2020, of the 78 tests done, the number of positive cases is now 401, with 20 COVID related deaths. The number of active cases in Institutional Isolation is 196; 50 persons are in institutional quarantine and 3 persons are in the COVID-ICU. To date, 185 persons have recovered.
Two new cases today are coming from Region 7 and 1 case from the city.
Tomorrow July 31st is a national holiday where our Guyanese Muslim brothers and sisters will be celebrating with Muslims around the world the Festival of Eid ul Adha.
The WHO has cautioned countries globally about the safety measures that need to be adopted to prevent the further transmission of the raging coronavirus disease. On a national level, I also wish to state that our Muslim counterparts must be cognizant of the local COVID-19 situation and make the necessary adjustments so that exposure to the virus is nullified. This means that the practice of social distancing must be prioritized and strictly adhered to; no more than 10 persons congregating with visible 6 feet demarcations and more importantly, alternative arrangements must be put in place regarding the distribution of meatto the needy.
Similarly, on Saturday August 1st, Emancipation Day will be celebrated nationally. The Ministry is once again pleading with all to ensure that the COVID guidelines are at the core of these celebrations. You are all aware of the highly contagious nature of this disease and of the continuous increase locally of our cases.
Fellow Guyanese let us not close our eyes to what is happening re COVID -19 in the USA and even closer to us in neighboring Brazil which has reported 23, 284 new cases and 614 deaths in the last 24 hours.
As Dr Tedros intimated, “It’s never too late; Even epidemics can be turned around.” I am convinced that together we can flatten the curve with more effort from all of us; in the city we need to make a behavioral change and respect the health guidelines; in our hotspots Regions 7 & 9 which remain high-risk areas, you need to curtail your cross-border movement where exposure to the disease is uncontrollably high, and help to halt the imported cases; in our mining communities, the influx of migrants continues to contribute to the high incidence of positive cases through their constant movement in and out of the communities.