Should government ministers assemble large groups of people in Covid-19 super spreader events?

Dear Editor,

I find it quite alarming that every day an average of almost 100 new people get infected with the coronavirus, and the number of deaths keep climbing. What will it take for our Guyanese people to get the message and treat this matter as a national emergency? I am hearing stories of people being lackadaisical and laid back regarding getting the vaccine. Some are listening to some extremist guy on YouTube telling people not to get the vaccine, and totally crazy things such as the vaccine has a microchip in it, and will alter the DNA. Some are so silly, they say the vaccine is “the mark of the beast.” People of Guyana, our government is doing its part to get the vaccines for us. Our job is to rush to the vaccination sites and get vaccinated as quickly as possible. The government is doing its part; we need to do our part to support the overall effort at health and safety. We should have a problem of people wanting the vaccines but they are in short supply (as in other countries), not the government has a good supply but enough people are not rushing to get it. We need everybody to get on board with the vaccination. You have seen your neighbours and friends die because of the virus. You have seen people getting very sick with the virus. You see that young people can die from the virus, not just old people. You know Guyana does not have many treatment facilities to treat large numbers of new cases, so why are our people being so reckless with their lives?

Our people cannot be reckless, and then when the health services are overwhelmed with so many new cases every day, you would turn around and blame the government for not having enough treatment facilities. The more people vaccinated means the more we are building a resistance against the virus and preventing new strains of the virus from emerging. Guyanese are lucky that people over 40 years can get the vaccine. Even in Canada it is not so easy to get the vaccine. People, this is one situation where, “A hole in the boat is a hole in the whole boat.” If you are not vaccinated, if you are not wearing your masks at all times, if you are not practicing proper distancing, you put the whole boat at risk, and it does not matter which side of the boat has the hole. On the blogs, Alison Cortez said, “You are responsible for you, you have to do what you gotta do to stay safe and alive. Don’t blame government for this, you were spreading it when you disregard all the instructions given to you. Stick bruk in y’all ears.” Devi Bhagoo said, “Please come on, we need the curfew to be back 6 to 6 and close all the port of entries back and the rum shop and bars and clubs and restaurants back only essential business operated.” Finally, the COVID task force should ask government ministers whether it is really necessary to have events where they assemble large groups of people in what are potentially “super spreader” events. Please stop that, and be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. Forego the photo-ops events, and act with some sense.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jerry Jailall NC, USA