With over 800 COVID-19 related deaths and more than 3,700 active cases in Guyana, citizens and businesses must embrace a new culture of safety to avoid added carnage imposed by the virus. This is according to the Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony during his daily update yesterday.
Last month, the Guyana government-imposed vaccine requirements for some sections of the population and later made it mandatory for both public and private entities to vet clients, visitors, and even employees upon entry. The move has not been welcomed by all, with the main Parliamentary Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), several unions, and other bodies labeling the measures as a ‘violation’ of people’s rights. The coalition argues that such an imposition can prohibit unvaccinated persons from accessing much-needed goods and services, while the unions posit that such requirements do affect the income of unvaccinated public sector employees.
But the Minister has hailed the measures as effective, noting that more persons are getting vaccinated and that the country may very well achieve herd immunity. Minister Anthony, however, is insisting that more citizens and businesses incorporate these measures into their daily operations.
“We have been working to get people to comply. We want businesses to assist us. We’ve been reaching out to the private sector bodies to get their membership to help us to enforce the measures, because I think if more entities are onboard asking for vaccination cards and doing the social distancing and so forth – enforcing mask-wearing – then it helps to keep all of us safe. And so, it’s a collective effort and that’s what we’re trying to get people to understand. We have to embrace this new culture of making sure that we do the things to ensure our safety,” the official stressed.
