We need a complete lockdown to fight COVID-19

Dear Editor,

There is a frightening spike in the COVID-19 cases in Guyana with the current number of reported cases at Monday standing at 1029 with 31 deaths. The number of cases on Monday, recorded in one single day was 74 with 47 of those cases within Region 4.

The Government has made no attempt to revise the COVID-19 guidelines gazetted on August 14 th which were severely lacking in several ways. One such shortcoming is the 9 p.m. curfew. In fact, the Government eased the curfew hour to 9 p.m. from 8 p.m. This needs to be moved to a much earlier time to ensure the safety of the Guyanese citizens.

Another guideline which needs to be completely revised is that providing for religious services and gatherings with a 25 percent capacity. There has to be a suspension of all religious congregations which are fertile grounds for the spread of the virus. To allow religious functions and congregations at places of worship to continue will only result in more cases of COVID-19 and greater numbers of deaths.

In New York City, religious communities which continued in-person services resulted in a huge spike of coronavirus cases among those worshippers. Even in the Islamic countries (which, unlike Guyana, are not secular states) there has been strict enforcement of measures in that physical attendance in mosques was prohibited even during the holy month of Ramadan.

There have been so many letters to the Press indicating that just outside the Police Headquarters at Eve Leary, there have been large gatherings of persons partying without wearing masks and without socially distancing. Against that background, one wonders whether the Police will be willing to enforce the social distancing requirement for ninety minutes of exercise at seawalls, beaches, rivers and creeks, also a flawed guideline in the Gazetted measures. This should not be allowed.

The citizens of Guyana need to adopt a responsible attitude towards this virus and there need to be substantial changes in the society or we will run out of hospital beds.

In Guyana presently, malls remain open, stores announcing discounts on clothing remain open, Companies continue to hold board meetings in person….all of which allow for gathering of persons. All of these places should be closed. The hair salons and barbershops should be closed in view of the spiraling cases.

In the face of everything, Guyanese seeking to protect themselves are required by some Courts of Justice to huddle in restricted courtrooms for in-person hearings. There seems to be a mixed response from the Court as to the mode of hearing of matters since some Courts have adopted the virtual and prudent approach whilst others have insisted upon in-person hearings. All Courts of law need to have proceedings conducted remotely, without exception, in the interest of protecting the citizens of Guyana.

The ill-advised Inauguration Ceremony of President Ali has no doubt contributed towards this spike in the number of coronavirus cases.

In fact, firemen based at the Melanie Damishana Fire Station have now all been quarantined since one of the fourteen firemen stationed there has tested positive for the virus. That fireman was present at the Inauguration Ceremony of the President.

The Address to the Nation by President Ali was disappointing, to say the least, with statistics of concessions afforded by banks to customers and a meaningless message of sympathy at the end to the bereaved relatives of victims of COVID19.

It is time for the Government of Guyana to discharge its responsibility to safeguard the welfare of all Guyanese.

In order to curtail the spread of this virus, before it becomes absolutely uncontained, it is necessary to lockdown the Regions. This has proven effective in countries all over the world to combat the spread of this deadly virus.

It is time for us to be decisive and move for a complete shutdown in the interest of the lives of us all.

Yours faithfully,

Stephanie Isaacs