The alarmingly low vaccination rate in the Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10) remains a deep concern to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, MP. The health minister said the situation is “worrisome” as some 175 persons there are currently infected with the deadly virus.
“We are very much concerned with Wismar where we have now 72 cases that are active and 33 in Amelia’s Ward and 19 in Mackenzie. But why we have to be very concerned is because most of the population in Linden and in Region Ten as a whole, the vaccination uptake there has been quite low. So, if you have cases, those cases can easily spread to others and therefore you would see more people getting infected,” the health minister lamented during his daily COVID-19 Update Tuesday.
Since the commencement of the government’s vaccination campaign earlier this year, Region 10 has been lagging. The government has been working with regional and local officials to encourage persons to take the vaccine, which would effectively help the country to achieve herd immunity.
Efforts have, however, been futile. Minister Anthony is again pleading with residents to come forward and be vaccinated, noting that there are adequate shots in the country.
Meanwhile, Minister Anthony said Region Four remains the region with the highest infection rate with some 934 cases. He said the ministry is monitoring some hotspots there.
“Our areas of concern would be on the East Bank at Grove/Diamond. [In] Grove, there are about 44 cases, Diamond 39. We see that we have a number of cases in Kitty that they’re about 36 cases, 34 in Sophia, 26 in Campbellville, and 22 in Cummings Lodge.”
The National COVID-19 Task Force is also monitoring Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) which has some 1,100 active cases. The cases there are almost evenly spread throughout La Parfaite Harmonie, Tuschen, Crane, Vreed-en-Hoop, Parika, Cornelia Ida, Pouderoyen, and Zeelugt.
Also, under the microscope in Region Three are Hague, Canal Number Two Polder, Leonora, Westminster, La Grange, Uitvlugt, Anna Catherina, Goed Fortuin, Stewartville and Sisters Village.
Overall, there are 2,641 active COVID-19 cases, with 49 of those being detected within the last 24 hours. Vaccines against COVID-19 including AstraZeneca (second dose), Sputnik V (second dose), Pfizer (both doses), and the single-dose Johnson and Johnson, are currently being used in Guyana.
