A year of drastic change, hard times and over 200 deaths
By
Laurel Sutherland
On
In
Guyana News |
A chart showing the total number of cases, tests and deaths recorded each month between March, 2020 and February, 2021. In that period, 8,585 cases were recorded from testing of a total of 65,258 persons, with an overall positivity rate of just over 13%. Within this period also, 195 persons had died as a result of the virus. Then PAHO representative to Guyana, Dr William Adu-Krow had reported to Stabroek News in August last year that the country’s positivity rate at that time was over 20% and that should have been considered as authorities moved to reopen the economy. A further breakdown of the data shows that the most cases that were recorded in the period of one month is 1,660, which was recorded in the month of September 2020. This month also tied with October for the highest number of deaths (44) being recorded in a month’s span.
When the first COVID-19 case was confirmed here on March 11 last year, many Guyanese foresaw a change in lifestyle having witnessed the havoc that the virus was causing around the world and the steps that Governments took to contain its spread before it eventually made its way here.
The extent of that change, however, was not known but there is little doubt that life was “drastically” transformed.
One year later, the recently approved COVID-19 vaccines represent a glimmer of hope to those whose livelihoods were abruptly disrupted while some remain skeptical about the virus.
