Country today received 67,537 Sputnik COVID-19 doses 

After an initial purchase of 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, Guyana has been able to seal a deal for 600,000 more jabs, which is enough to get the country to herd immunity.

However, the key challenge now is for people to come forward for inoculation.

As such, Guyana’s Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony is appealing to the public to join the effort that could see this country reach herd immunity if persons take their shots. 

“If people come out and take their shots we can meet that herd immunity target; surpassing many countries. We can do it because we have ordered 800,000 doses to cover 400,000 persons and that means our entire adult population,”Anthony told Stabroek News yesterday as he gave an update on countrywide inoculations.

More vaccine was received today

In the meantime, Guyana today received a consignment of 67,537 doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The announcement was made by the country’s  the Department of Public Information.

Guyana has already received 138,000 Sputnik doses giving a total of 205,537. Guyana said it purchased 200,000 doses of Sputnik and has ordered 600,000 more doses. The Ministry of Health yesterday said that three more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.

This takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 341. The latest fatalities are a 65-year-old man from Demerara-Mahaica, a female, 84, from Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice and a male, 54, of Cuyuni-Mazaruni.Meanwhile, 103 new cases of COVID-19 were recorded yesterday. Fourteen persons are in the ICU, suffering from the pandemic. 

Brazil COVID-19 variant found in Guyana

Advisor on emerging viral diseases at the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Dr. Jairo Mendez-Rico, has confirmed that the P.1 variant of the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is indeed present in Guyana. During a webinar on SARS-CoV-2 variants organised by PAHO for journalists, Dr. Mendez-Rico stated that 37 countries in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region have confirmed the presence of one or more variants of concern.

The variants of concern that have emerged around the world include those that originated in the United Kingdom (B 1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), Brazil (P.1), and India (B.1.617). The variant that originated in the UK was the first variant of concern discovered; it was discovered at the end of 2020.

Contrastingly, the B.1.617 variant that originated in India is the most recently discovered variant. According to the PAHO Advisor, the B.1.1.7 has been recorded in 34 countries, the B.1.351 in 17 countries, the P.1 variant in 21 countries and the B.1.617 in eight countries.

Argentina, Aruba, Canada, Mexico, Panama and the United States of America (USA) are the countries which have recorded all four of the variants of concern. Other countries have recorded some, but not all, of the variants. Guyana, according to a table presented by Dr. Mendez-Rico, has recorded only the P.1 variant thus far. Paraguay and Venezuela have also only recorded the P.1 variant.