MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th March, 2020) President of Guyana David Granger said that the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been confirmed in the country, with the patient having died.
"Guyanese, it is my sad duty to announce Guyana confirmed its first imported case of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Georgetown on Wednesday, 11th March 2020," the president said in a statement on late Wednesday.
The victim was a 52-year-old woman, who had arrived in Guyana from the United States on March 5 and died on Wednesday, according to Granger. The woman also suffered from uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension, along with the coronavirus disease.
"Measures are being taken to prevent the risk of community spread. These measures include: dispatch of a health team to the home of the deceased for assessment and initiation of public health prevention measures; identification and contact tracing for all possible exposed persons; meeting of Ministry officials with members of staff at the hospital; and implementation of necessary interventions," the president said.
He also called on citizens of Guyana to refrain from public gatherings.
The coronavirus disease was first detected in Wuhan, China's Hubei province, in late December, and has since spread worldwide. More than 126,000 people have been infected with COVID-19, with over 4,600 having died and 68,000 recovered.
On Wednesday, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the COVID-19 outbreak could be characterized as a pandemic.
