Last updated on Monday, 21 December 2020, 17:52 by Denis Chabrol
Guyana is set to expand its COVID-19 task force to prepare the country for the import, storage and distribution of vaccines to immunize people against the virus that has so far killed 159 people locally, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony announced, on Monday.
“What we’re looking for is specific types of expertise as it relates to vaccine so do people have cold chain expertise or can they help us with logistics, whether they can help us with management etc so those are the types. of the things we look for, ”he told the government’s Department of Public Information (DPI).
Several companies have already submitted proposals to the National Tender Procurement and Administration Board (NPTAB) for the construction of walk-in cold storage facilities.
The Health Minister said that a number of people had already been consulted by the government for inclusion in your Task Force and would this week announce their names. “We have a number of people who are familiar with vaccines, not necessarily adult vaccines, but vaccines in general and other stakeholders who would be on the committee so it is a multi-stakeholder committee,” he said. Dr. suggested Anthony stated that many of the private sector people who are experienced with vaccines as well as private sector individuals would be included in the task force.
The Health Minister, meanwhile, said the number of COVID-19 positive people in Bartica has dropped from more than 60 cases last week to 34 at present, but the viral disease has surfaced in areas on UNAMCO Road in Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River. . There, he said, 29 cases have been detected, they have been notified and are being monitored. In Moraikobai, there are 29 cases. There are 10 patients in the Intensive Care Unit of the Infectious Disease Hospital in Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. There have been 46 new cases reported over the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said.
Without releasing figures, he said there had been spikes in Wismar and Amelia Ward and he hoped by the end of this week or early next week there would be a reduction.
Official figures released on Monday show that 5,369 of the 6,171 infected people have recovered. Currently, 34 people have been in hospital, 12 have been quarantined to see if they would develop symptoms and 602 were told to isolate at home.