Gov’t denies councillor dies after taking vaccine

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

The Guyana government Friday denied as “mischievous and malicious” reports on social media that a councillor had died after he had been administered the COVID-19 vaccine.

A statement issued by the Ministry of Health said that it had taken note of the “patent misinformation being pedalled in relation to the COVID-19 vaccines by anti-vaxxers, particularly in Linden, Region Ten”.

According to the ministry, it wanted to “categorically reject as mischievous and malicious, unsubstantiated claims on social media that Region Ten RDC Councillor Serjonie ‘Gem’ Narine died after taking the vaccine”.

It said that the woman councillor “was not a recipient of any of the three COVID-19 vaccines” being administered by the government.

“The ministry wishes to state clearly that the COVID-19 vaccines being administered are safe. We are hopeful influential political, faith and business leaders in Region Ten and other parts of the country will use their good offices to encourage citizens to get vaccinated.

“The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health, encourages all Guyanese 18 years and older to visit a vaccination site in their community and get inoculated as soon as possible. These vaccines and others implemented by the government are the only ways in which we can beat the pandemic,” the ministry said.

On Thursday, Guyana recorded one of the highest numbers of positive COVID-19 infections from a total of 2,478 tests. The authorities said 153 new cases were recorded, taking the overall number of confirmed cases since March 2020, to 11,527.

The Ministry of Health earlier on Thursday confirmed the death of a 96-year-old Aishalton, Region Nine resident, taking the country’s death toll to 263.