Self-testing: ‘You don’t have to tell us you’re COVID positive but it will be good if you do’ – Dr Anthony
The Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony says that persons who test positive for COVID-19 using the home self-testing kits are not required to report their results to the authorities but it will be “good if they do.”
“It is not compulsory that you report but it would be good if you send those report to us and we will be able to verify by doing another test,” Dr Anthony said during Thursday’s daily COVID-19 update in his response to questions by the News Room.
On Wednesday, the Health Minister announced that the authorities here have approved the use of these self-testing kits but he made it clear that the results cannot be used for entry into Guyana; a negative PCR, antigen or Rapid COVID-19 test result is required before anyone enters here.
Even though the self-testing kits are approved for use, there is no monitoring system implemented by the Health Ministry to deal with possible positive COVID cases.
Meanwhile, Dr Anthony also clarified that persons can still conduct another COVID test at one of the approved facilities in Guyana if they’re unsure about the results from the self-testing kits.
“If they are positive and unsure, they can come to one of our testing facilities and we will be able to confirm whether that is truly a positive test,” the Health Minister said.
According to Dr Anthony, persons can use the kits between four to five days after being exposed to the virus.
“Somebody who would have flu-like symptoms, sneezing, runny nose, itching in their throat and a little bit of fever, then they can test themselves.”
These test kits are being imported by private companies and pharmacies and have been approved for sale here. Persons who use these kits will get their COVID results within 15 minutes.
Vaccination
As of Thursday, 83.8 per cent of the adult population received their first dose vaccine and 63.1 per cent received their second dose.
The vaccine rollout in children between 12 to 17 is now at 45.6 per cent for the first dose and 32.7 for the second dose.
Booster doses have now increased to, 57, 555. There are currently 1, 168 cases.
