recorded; cases now P

14 NEWS WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 new COVID-19 cases recorded; cases now jump to 245

…37 cases recorded in Region 7

Another 10 cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been detected in Guyana, and the total figure has now climbed to 245.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud on Tuesday announced that the number of deaths is still 12. In one day, 26 tests samples were processed.

Nevertheless, there are 119 active cases in institutional isolation, 16 persons in institutional quarantine and one patient in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The active cases represent 47 per cent of total infected persons while deaths represent five per cent. A total of 2578 tests were processed thus far and 2333 returned negative.

“Fellow Guyanese, you can see what the current statistics are saying to us. I wish to reiterate that we are a long way from returning to normal as a result of the continuous spread of this disease. I must draw your attention to what I mean by this. With this disease being embedded in some of our hardest to reach areas in the hinterland region, and even along the coastland, the behaviour pattern which is a part of our culture that you choose not to change, continues to be the platform that is fuelling the transmission,” the CMO told Guyanese.

He further stated that that the longer the disease is around, the higher the impact on health, education and the general economy.

“Please note that the full effect of COVID-19 on the human body is not fully known; you can recover from the coronavirus disease but may develop other conditions that you previously did not have, which can result in possible death. Therefore, it is in your interest to avoid getting COVID-19 altogether,” Dr Persaud insisted.

On Monday, Dr Persaud had lambasted ‘youths’ after many persons were seen congregating at the Georgetown seawall in large masses over the weekend. Despite multiple warnings, the curfew and guidelines continue to be flouted, especially in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

To date, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) leads with the second-most cases in the country after Region One (Barima-Waini). Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Edward Sagala informed that 37 persons have now tested positive for the virus in various parts of the region.

He noted that another individual from the mining town of Bartica tested positive.

Last Wednesday, Bartica recorded its first resident to test positive for COVID-19, after which four family contacts of the individual, including a threeyear-old child, tested positive.

This prompted another sixteen individuals including healthcare workers to also be tested. From Guyana (UG) embarks on a journey to advance and excel in its curriculum, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Tuesday made a generous donation of 13 books to the tertiary institution.

The donation, which is a representation of environmental ethics, seeks to make a robust impact on students by enhancing their knowledge for the benefit of humankind and the natural environment.

Recently appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin, during her address via Zoom

the samples, one test result returned positive, presenting a total of six COVID-19 positive cases in less than a week for Bartica.

“The total number of positive cases in the entire Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region now stands at 37, most of which were recorded out of Aranka, making our region second only to the BarimaWaini Region,” Dr Sagala stated.

The RHO said that residents of Bartica appear to be carefree and casual toward the pandemic. As such, he urged them to stay safe and observe all the advisories being provided to the community from the Department of Health. “Simply put, most residents seem not to care. This virus is not going away anytime soon, as many may want to believe. It has no respect for age, sex or sexuality, economic standing, etc. It kills,” he warned. PPP/C Prime M i n i s t e r i a l Candidate, Brigadier Mark Phillips on Monday zeroed in on the current upsurge in cases, noting that the caretaker A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition neglected the health sector at a crucial time while focusing their attention on politics.

Globally, there are 10,021,401 cases with 499,913 deaths. In the Americas, there are 5,042,486 cases with

UG receives donation of environmental ethics books from the WWF

As the University of

244,791 deaths. said that the University’s The University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus Natural Sciences and Earth and Environmental Sciences departments are set to pursue goals in social and environmental justice. The Vice Chancellor underscored that the aim of the University is not to be another educational institution, but to serve as a model and problem solver for the nation. Mohamed-Martin added that the aim is to plot and create a thought-leadership plan for the country. “We want to produce students who are not only technically proficient but can also work towards being the future of the country.” Meanwhile, Country Manager for WWF Guianas, Aiesha Williams related that the WWF runs on social principles and policies that aim to cease environmental degradation while promoting a harmonious future for humans and nature. Williams noted that WWF is in the process of expanding its programme, that will see progress and continued engagement in social and environmental justice. Some of the books that were donated by the WWF to the institution were: Environmental Justice as Social Work Practice, What Is Critical Environmental Justice, Ethics and the Environment Mountain of Justice, Flint Fight Back, Environmental Justice in a Moment of Danger, among others. Present at the webinar were Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic Engagement, Professor Michael E Scott, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Dr Troy Thomas, Dean of the Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Lecturer for the Natural Sciences Department, Tameka King, who commended and thanked the WWF for their contribution, that will see a better University of Guyana.