Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

Guyana confirms 1st Coronavirus death; Jamaica records 2nd case

- Guyana case comes as country is hosting CARICOM leaders for major meeting
Guyana has confirmed its first case of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), after samples from a patient who died this morning Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) tested positive for the virus. Photo: Facebook
Both COVID-19 patients in Jamaica were said to arrive through the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, the capital city. Photo: NMIA
Both COVID-19 patients in Jamaica were said to arrive through the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, the capital city. Photo: NMIA
President David A. Granger greets Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith C. Rowley upon his arrival. Photo: MOTP Guyana
President David A. Granger greets Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Keith C. Rowley upon his arrival. Photo: MOTP Guyana
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, SA - Guyana has confirmed its first imported case of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), after samples from a patient who died this morning Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) tested positive for the virus.

The offical confirmation came this evening from President David A. Granger and this makes it the first recorded case of the virus in Guyana, a country on the Atlantic Coast of South America. The announcement also came on the same day that Government officials and stakeholders hosted a major symposium on the deadly virus.

According to the President, the unnamed victim was  a 52-year-old Guyanese female who had travelled from the United States of America.

"She arrived in the country on 5th March, presented to the public health system on 10th March and was found to have uncontrolled Diabetes and Hypertension. She subsequently died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation at 08:00 hours on 11th March," Mr Granger noted.

GPHC placed in lockdown 

According to local media, the GPHC went into lockdown early this morning after the woman died from what was believed to be pneumonia; however, she showed respiratory and signs linked to the coronavirus but had no flu-like symptoms. 

It was revealed that during the lockdown, the entire emergency unit of the public hospital was sanitised and health officials were ordered to put on protective gear.

Family members alerted health officials after the death that the woman had recently returned from New York, which has since had over 200 reported cases of the virus.

Jamaica records second case 

Meanwhile, Jamaica has now recorded its second imported case of COVID-19 in less than 24 hours in a female employee of the US Embassy located in Kingston.

According to the country’s Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, the woman is said to have returned from the UK earlier this week

Both patients arrived in Jamaica through the Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) in Kingston, which is said to receive about 125,000 passengers per month.

Novel Coronavirus is now classified as a pandemic, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

High-level meeting in Guyana 

Guyana is currently hosting Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia A. Mottley, in addition to Prime Ministers Dr Keith C. Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago, Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, Keith C. Mitchell of Grenada and Ralph E. Gonsalves , the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The regional leaders are in the country for a two-day meeting on the impasse, which resulted from the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections with no winner officially declared.

12 Responses to “Guyana confirms 1st Coronavirus death; Jamaica records 2nd case”

  • wow (11/03/2020, 22:23) Like (8) Dislike (1) Reply
    Georgetown Hospital is known to be incompetent and their only cure for everything is death. You can go in there for a rotten tooth and somehow you’ll die.
    • Hmm (12/03/2020, 05:47) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      As you read they never check for corona they never know the woman just came in from NYC. The woman came in the afternoon to the hospital and died the morning, so her relatives are to blame they wsit until the woman get really really sick then they took her to the hospital.
  • GCB (11/03/2020, 23:30) Like (5) Dislike (9) Reply
    If hope we restricting them island people that fly here directly, we ain't calling names.
  • Quiet Rebel (12/03/2020, 00:17) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    The VI is in a quandry. It like most of its regional sister countries depend heavily on tourism; tourism is their primary economy. Countries have to decide between public health and safety and the economy. The focus and primary interest should be on public health and safety.

    Thus, the territory should take strong protective measures to prevent, contain and mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus, including strict processing of people coming into the territory, avoiding large gatherings, social distancing, practicing good hygiene.......etc.

    Though these measures will protect the health and safety of residents, they can put stress and strain on tourism, affecting individual, ie, taxi drivers, souvenir sellers, restaurant, tour operators....etc income and government revenue. The Coronavirus is highly contagious and can be easily spread by person to person, community spread......etc so be safe and follow the guidance provided by health authorities.
  • Trump (12/03/2020, 00:24) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    St.Vincent got it too
  • watcher (12/03/2020, 02:53) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    This is getting closer to home
  • son of the soil (12/03/2020, 05:47) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    Watch out my people. Will be here shortly. Be prepared. All cruise ships should be turned away immediately.
    • @son of the soil (12/03/2020, 12:22) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      Trust me, it is already in the BVI somewhere. The virus takes two weeks to be detected in the carrier. All you can do is keep your hands clean and sanitized, stay away from large crowds and people who cough and sneeze in public and don’t cover their mouths and nose and hope for the best. This year I made the choice to skip St. Thomas carnival because to many people is bunch up together.
  • GG (12/03/2020, 05:49) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Only god knows who this woman come in contact with. She never seek medical attention until the last moment. And still never say she came recently from overseas.
  • 5G (12/03/2020, 05:57) Like (12) Dislike (2) Reply
    All these people came from places that has 5G powered technology, so if you want to risk tasking cheap flights to these countries be my guest, just write your will first

    Fun fact: with 4G they told you to don’t keep your phone in your pocket and if your not using it keep it on airplane mode because it can cause cancer, so ask yourself what a superior 5G network can do to you...
  • wow (12/03/2020, 09:16) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    I can see how ignorant and foolish some people are just by reading these comments. The virus should have only targeted the evil and ignorant scams of this earth
  • The virus (12/03/2020, 09:55) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    Takes 2 weeks in your body before it is dected,


Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.