Berbice family of four in quarantine for COVID-19

By Royan Abrams 

A family of four from the Corentyne Berbice has been instructed to remain indoors as part of a self-quarantining posture following advice from regional health workers in Berbice as a direct result of the new Coronavirus.

BIG Smith News Watch has been informed that the self-quarantining of the family was necessary after it was confirmed that the four persons traveled on the same flight with the first patient who died from the Covid-19 virus at the Georgetown Public Hospital and whose family members also tested positive for the virus also.

We were told that the family did not approach the Ministry or Health Authorities about their travel but it was rather villagers who informed the health workers that the family had recently returned from overseas.

BIG Smith News Watch as been told that the family of four which is now is self-quarantine hails from the community of Alness on the Corentyne Coast.

Director of regional health services Jevaughn Stephen has since confirmed that the Regional Health Services Department in Region 6 received the report and dispatched a medical team to investigate the report during which it was confirmed that the family was indeed on the flight with the first COVID 19 patient who died.

Stephen says the family was informed of the importance of self-isolation. He assured that none of the persons shown any symptoms as yet of the coronavirus- COVID 19 but medical professionals are presently visiting the family every 24 hours.

Regional Health Services in East Berbice Corentyne have begun screening all patients who show at any of the hospitals in the region with any symptoms associated with the coronavirus.

“We will find that with any outbreaks, persons with any symptoms will be panicking to some extent and will come to the hospital fearing that or hoping that it isn’t the coronavirus so we been doing much more lab tests than usual. Our staff is properly trained so as to ascertain these cases; not only the medical staff but also the paramedical staff also” Stated Stephen

Guyana has since closed its airports from flights coming from International destinations, however, a few flights out of Guyana are being facilitated in order to have persons who are stranded here to meet to their final destinations.

The Ministry of Public Health has also identified and operationalized a number of isolation centers to keep and monitor persons who may be exposed to the coronavirus.