On January 30, 2020, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings met with Minister of Citizenship, the Honourable Winston Felix, and Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service, Ms. Soyinka Grogan, to discuss safety, security, and health concerns relative to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). They agreed to continue to closely monitor the situation as it pertained to the health and wellbeing of the Guyanese population.
The World Health Organization (WHO) today declared a “public health emergency of international concern” following the spread of the coronavirus to several countries.
According to the WHO, the novel coronavirus is a new strain of coronaviruses that has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic and can be transmitted between animals and humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, an infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
The virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019.
