Coronavirus death: Granger calls for calm, less public gatherings

DEAD FROM CORONAVIRUS: Ratna Baboolall aka Poilet of 542 Good Hope, ECD

President David Granger in a statement to the nation on the occasion of Guyana confirming it’s first Coronavirus case and death is urging the nation to avoid public gatherings and only travel when it is essential to do so.

Today, Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Guyana a 52-year-old Guyanese woman died at the Georgetown Public Hospital, hours after she checked into the facility with respiratory problems. The woman returned to Guyana on March 05, 2020, from the United States along with her son and husband. The dead woman has since been identified as Ratna Baboolall aka Poilet of 542 Good Hope, ECD.

When the woman died today, the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Hospital was on temporary lockdown as the health workers scrambled to put on their protective gear even as the facility was sanitized to kill any exiting germs from the virus.

In his statement, President David Granger noted that several steps were taken after the woman passed away. Those included the dispatching of a health team to her home for assessment and initiation of public health prevention measures, identification and contact tracing for all possible exposed persons, a meeting of Ministry officials with members of staff at the hospital and implementation of necessary interventions.

In the meantime, the head of state has advised the following measures for the rest of the population even as Guyana seeks to keep its citizens safe.

“I advise, further, that, public gatherings be discouraged, non-essential travel be discouraged, competent agencies continue to patrol irregular border crossings, enhanced sensitization of key personnel at all air and seaports is to continue.” President David Granger noted

Screening remains in place for persons arriving in Guyana from High-risked countries, namely: Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, French Guiana, Panama, St. Vincent, United States of America, People’s Republic of China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Iran; according to the Guyanese leader.

The Ministry of Public Health has since designated three quarantine facilities and others will be identified according to Mr. Granger.

Notwithstanding that, the Ministry has also thus far; developed the local capacity to test for the COVID-19, thanks to training provided by the Pan-American Health Organization; it is on that capacity that we relied for this test result, assessed the readiness of our health facilities to meet the anticipated increase in demand on services, continued to fill existing gaps, including with respect of additional supplies and equipment, though, at the present time, the Ministry has enough personal protective equipment in the country for our health facilities. It has, also, adequate stores of respiratory medicine for the next three months, trained, and continues to train, health-care providers and first-responders; and heightened Active Surveillance, the president statement related.

Those efforts are being supported by communication campaigns to keep the population updated on the virus and its impacts and oversight provided by the Health Emergency Centre. The EOC will be activated to provide sector-wide support, the president also assured.

“Maintain a distance of at least one metre from persons who are coughing or sneezing, perform hand hygiene frequently by washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer if hands are not visibly soiled, cover mouths and noses with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and then discarding it; and resist the habit to touch the face.” are advise being given to the population and which the president repeated in his statement on Wednesday.

“I use this opportunity to appeal to the public to remain calm and to implement all the advisories relating to personal hygiene, social distancing, and overall infection prevention and control. The Government of Guyana will continue to keep the public informed as we manage this public health challenge.” President David Granger urges all Guyanese.