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The COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Guyana on 11 March 2020. The first case was a woman who travelled from New York, a 52-year-old woman with underlying health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. The woman died at the
Georgetown Public Hospital Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), in Georgetown, Guyana, is the country's largest hospital. GPHC is the main teaching hospital in Guyana and serves as both a regional public hospital and as the national referral hospital. Its Seaman's Ward, the ...
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Background

On 12 January 2020, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...
(WHO) confirmed that a
novel coronavirus Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. The
case fatality ratio In epidemiology, case fatality rate (CFR) – or sometimes more accurately case-fatality risk – is the proportion of people diagnosed with a certain disease, who end up dying of it. Unlike a disease's mortality rate, the CFR does not take int ...
for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.


Timeline


March

On 11 March 2020, the first case of coronavirus was recorded in Guyana from a 52-year-old woman with underlying health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. The woman died at the Georgetown Public Hospital. On 18 March, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority closed the country's airports to incoming international passenger flights for 14 days. All schools were closed. On 19 March, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) closed Guyanese airspace to all international arrivals. On 23 March, the Courts of Guyana announced limited or suspended operations. On 25 March, Karen Gordon-Boyle, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, announced that only people exhibiting signs of COVID-19 infection or who have traveled abroad will be tested. The
Pan American Health Organization The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency working to improve the health and living standards of the people of the Americas. It is part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for ...
had supplied Guyana with 700 testing kits and 400 screening kits. On 31 March, Ubraj Narine, the Mayor of Georgetown, said that he would not be implementing lockdowns or curfews in contrast to neighboring cities.


April

On 1 April 2020, a second death was announced. The deceased was a 38-year-old former Emergency Medical Technician. The total number of cases is 12: 10 cases in Region 4, 1 in Region 3 and 1 in Region 6. 52 people have been tested thus far. On 2 April,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
David Granger announced the closure of bars, restaurants and other places of entertainment between 18:00 and 06:00. On 3 April, Guyana had reported 19 cases and 4 deaths, giving the country the world's highest COVID-19 case fatality rate at 21.05%.
The Minister of Health announced that all residents of Guyana would be restricted to their homes/yards. A national curfew would come into effect from 6 PM until 6 AM. The curfew had already been declared on 30 March in Region 10. A limited number of essential services would be operating daily with reduced hours of service.
The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) started a relief program consisting of food and cleaning essentials to the most vulnerable communities. On 6 April, Guyana had reported 29 cases. On 8 April, it was announced that Colonel
John Lewis John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
, who had died on 7 April, had contracted COVID-19. He had not been tested until after he died. His wife had died from
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...
12 days earlier.
All
post offices A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...
would be closed from that 9 April onward. Arrangements were being made for pensioners to collect pensions. On 9 April, the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
announced a grant of €8 million (US$8.6 million), which would be implemented by the
Caribbean Public Health Agency The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is a regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago which was established by CARICOM leaders in July 2011 and began operation in 2013. CARPHA combines the functions of five pre-exi ...
, for the fight against the coronavirus. Guyana is one of the 24 members of the CARPHA.
A 6-year-old girl was rushed to the Linden Hospital Complex with serious medical conditions and had been scheduled to be transferred to Georgetown; however, she died within 90 minutes. She would be tested for COVID-19 because she had a fever and trouble breathing, symptoms of the virus. The result of the test was negative.
Volda Lawrence, Public Health Minister, announced that there had been no new cases on 9 April and that a total of 152 people had been tested. On 11 April, the Civil Defence Commission announced that there were four quarantine facilities with a total capacity of 254. On 12 April, the Ministry of Health has allowed private hospitals to test for COVID-19.
At least 34 Guyanese had died of COVID-19 in New York City by early April according to the Consulate General of Guyana in New York. Prime Minister
Moses Nagamootoo Moses Veerasammy Nagamootoo (Tamil: மோசஸ் வீராசாமி நாகமுத்து; born 30 November 1947) is a Guyanese politician, writer and novelist who served as the Prime Minister of Guyana under former President Da ...
said that 10,000 to 12,000 people were stranded in New York alone, but that at the time no repatriation flights would take place. 200 American citizens were repatriated on 14 April by
Eastern Airlines Eastern Air Lines, also colloquially known as Eastern, was a major United States airline from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade County, Florida. Ea ...
.
Guyana was set to receive 30,000 masks and ventilators from China. On 15 April, the Ministry of Health announced that of the infected cases, 14 were from the East Coast of Demerara, five from the East Bank of Demerara and 17 within central Georgetown which meant that Region 4 had 86% of all COVID-19 cases. On 18 April,
indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...
villages throughout the regions were concerned about food shortages due to significant increases costs, especially of freight, caused by the pandemic. Up to that time the CDC had not delivered any aid packages due to a reconstruction of their long-term care program.
A seventh death was recorded at the ICU of Georgetown Public Hospital. On 19 April,
PAHO The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency working to improve the health and living standards of the people of the Americas. It is part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for ...
announced 7,000 additional COVID-19 test kits would be sent, adding to the initial 2,000 test kits the country had. On 21 April, Marvin Pearce, a Guyanese political activist and supporter of APNU+ AFC, died on in the United States from COVID-19 at the age of 44.
Suriname and Guyana have agreed to allow legitimate trade over the
Courantyne River The Courantyne/Corentyne/Corantijn River is a river in northern South America in Suriname and Guyana. It is the longest river in the country and creates the border between Suriname and the East Berbice-Corentyne region of Guyana. Its tributarie ...
. The river which forms the border between the countries had been closed, which had resulted in food and fuel shortage in the Amerindian villages,
Orealla Orealla (or Orealla Mission) is an Indigenous community in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region of Guyana, on the Courantyne River, approximately south of Crabwood Creek and north of Epira, located at , altitude 11 metres. south-east on the ...
and Siparuta. The border would remain closed for people. On 23 April, Guyana dispatched mobile COVID-19 testing units across the country, because there were suspicions that there were more cases due to the limited amount of testing. Guyana had now 9,000 test kits. On 24 April, Moses Nagamootoo, Chairman of the COVID-19 task force, said that foreign aid had been halted by the irregularities surrounding the
2020 Guyanese general election Snap general elections were held in Guyana on 2 March 2020. They were called early after the government of President David A. Granger lost a vote of no confidence by a margin of 33–32 on 21 December 2018,
. Guyana was excluded by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
from the first batch of aid packages. The lack of a budget for 2020 made matters worse. On 27 April, the Public Health Ministry announced that 464 tests had been performed, an increase of nine tests compared to the day before. The ninth death to COVID-19 was a 67-year-old man who died at approximately 20:20 on 29 April. On 30 April, ExxonMobil and its partners donated GY$60 million (~US$290,000) for the fight against COVID-19. Forty million Guyanese dollars would go to the CDC, the Salvation Army, and Rotary Guyana would receive GY$10 million each.


May

On 6 May 2020, it was disclosed that the tenth death to COVID-19 was tested after the individual passed away due to complications from the virus. The victim was a 64-year-old man in the Palms Geriatric Home. Twelve staff members and 24 other bedridden persons were quarantined. The number of tests began improving, and up to that time, 714 persons had been tested.
Ten Guyanese were arrested for trying to cross into
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
illegally and were placed in quarantine. The situation in Brazil with regards to COVID-19 did not deter crossings. On 10 May, another resident of Palms Geriatric Home tested positive for the virus. On 11 May, it was reported that an 11-year-old girl, who was one of the first cases, still tested positive after 56 days and had to remain in quarantine. On 12 May, the virus was now present in seven regions. Region 7 (
Cuyuni-Mazaruni Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region 7) is a region of Guyana. Venezuela claims the territory as part of Guayana Esequiba. It borders the regions of Barima-Waini, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara and Pomeroon-Supenaam to the north, the region of Upper De ...
) was the newest region. The other regions had been 1 (Barima-Waini), 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne), 9 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
A man who was quarantined with COVID-19 in Lethem escaped and was captured after crossing the closed border Brazil that same day, raising concerns about legalities and his contacts during the escape. On 20 May, random testing was performed among the Presidential Guard resulted in eight members testing positive for COVID-19.


August

On 18 August 2020, seventeen were arrested for violating COVID-19 restrictions put in place by police at Montrose bar. It was announced on 19 August, that President
Irfaan Ali Mohamed Irfaan Ali (born 25 April 1980) is a Guyanese politician who has served as the tenth and current president of Guyana since 2020. He is the first Muslim to hold the office, along with being the second Muslim head of state in the Americas ...
would address the nation on the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic that night, amid a sharp rise of cases. The Ministry of Health (MOH) reported that one other person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The deceased was a 43-year-old woman and a patient of the transitional ward at the GPHC. Upon admission to the GPHC, a swab test was done and following her death, the results came back as positive. Another two other persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died at the Bartica Hospital (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Region 7. The patients who died at the hospital were a male and a female, age 55 and 41 respectively. To date, the country has recorded 776 confirmed cases of COVID-19 of which 381 has recovered. There were 29 COVID-19 related deaths.


Preventive measures

* All borders, airports, and ports are closed for passengers * All schools have been closed * A curfew has been instituted between 18:00 and 06:00 * All non-essential businesses must close * All post offices are closed * Everybody should stay at home except for essential journeys * Public transport may only carry half the number of passengers they are licensed to carry


Disputed territory with Venezuela

The
International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
planned to discuss Guyana and
Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
border dispute over
Guayana Esequiba (), sometimes also called or Essequibo, is a disputed territory of west of the Essequibo River that is administered and controlled by Guyana but claimed by Venezuela.
in March 2020. The hearing was postponed due to the pandemic. The first hearing was finally carried out on 30 June 2020, but Venezuela did not participate saying that the ICJ lacked jurisdiction. The hearing was held by video conference due to pandemic.


Notable deaths

* John Percy Leon Lewis (13 February 1943 – 7 April 2020), Guyanese military officer and president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union * Samuel Wilson (1942 – 9 September 2020), former toshao (indigenous village chief) of Batavia,
Cuyuni-Mazaruni Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region 7) is a region of Guyana. Venezuela claims the territory as part of Guayana Esequiba. It borders the regions of Barima-Waini, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara and Pomeroon-Supenaam to the north, the region of Upper De ...


Statistics


New cases per day


Deaths per day


Active cases per day

Chronology of the number of active cases Gaps in data completed usin
Consulytic Caribbean


See also

*
Caribbean Public Health Agency The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is a regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago which was established by CARICOM leaders in July 2011 and began operation in 2013. CARPHA combines the functions of five pre-exi ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic by country This is a general overview and status of places affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic in South America The COVID-19 pandemicpandemic was confirmed to have reached South America on 26 February 2020 when Brazil confirmed a case in São Paulo. By 3 April, all countries and territories in South America had recorded at least one case. On 13 May 2 ...


References


External links

* Official site
Ministry of Health
{{#related:COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela Guyana Guyana Disease outbreaks in Guyana 2020 in Guyana 2021 in Guyana