Residents are encouraged to take the necessary precautions
Upsurge of COVID-19 cases in Berbice…
By Player Malisa Harry
Leslie Ramsammy and Minister Frank Anthony engaging with some residents.
Kaieteur News – There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in Region Six, with New Amsterdam and Albion identified as current hotspots. Here is Dr.’s revelation. Leslie Ramsammy, adviser to the Health Minister, during a visit to District Six.
Dr. Ramsammy, who was accompanied by the Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, made it clear that “there is an increase of COVID cases in Region Six.” He continued, “People think we have had a vaccine (and) we don’t have to be careful anymore but that’s a mistake and so as we speak, Region Six is showing progress, what we are doing call it the third wave of COVID. ”
As of Sunday, there were 31 confirmed cases in the Region with the majority in the New Amsterdam and Albion areas on the Corentyne. The remaining cases are scattered throughout various villages in the Region.
In addition Dr. Ramsammy urges those living in the areas identified as hotspots to “avoid crowds, stay at home and if you have to leave, wear a mask and sanitize.”
“Don’t take a chance. For all those mothers and wives, make sure your husbands don’t go to the bars and socialize because these are the places where they pick him up and bring him back home, ”he said.
On Sunday, Health workers were conducting a swabbing exercise in Albion. “For weeks people in Albion have been congregating in crowds at local bars and supermarkets and police say a couple of houses away are passing by and seeing the crowd and doing nothing. So they encourage the slackness and that’s how we get so many cases now … the people get drunk every day out of plenty and nobody does anything, ”said a frustrated resident.
Meanwhile, the Regional Health Officer, Dr. Vishalya Sharma said that over 3,000 people, over 60, have been vaccinated in Region Six so far. But he also noted that there have been several reports that people well under 60 are receiving the vaccine as well.
An elderly man in his 60s told this publication that, on grounds of anonymity, when he revealed he had been vaccinated at the Skeldon Hospital vaccination site, he was required to wait for hours. He said, while waiting, he saw several people, whom he knew to be very young, being vaccinated. The man said he turned up at the site very early and left the site hours later without being vaccinated. He said he was forced to visit another site for vaccination the next day.
“It was absolute madness and they say only people aged 60 and over get a vaccine, but plenty of people I know who are very, very young get it. It is like the authorities have no control over the process. It was a huge confusion; there were other people of my age who were there complaining too, ”said the man.
Minister Anthony, Dr. Ramsammy and RHO Sharma to visit all the testing sites in Berbice on Sunday. There are currently testing sites at New Amsterdam Hospital, Health Center No. 47, Port Mourant Health Center, Brethren Health Center, Mibicuri Health Center and Skeldon Hospital. The vaccination campaign will be, says Dr. Anthony, now focusing on people aged 50 and over.