– Jordan says gov’t examining options available through other international banks
– says $120M disbursed so far to MoPH from consolidated fund

By Navendra Seoraj
AS Guyana continues to ramp up efforts to safeguard against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the government, through the Ministry of Finance, has requested US$5M from the World Bank.

“We have already sent a request to the World Bank to access funding under their (the bank) Rapid Response Facility and we know the request is being considered,” said Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan during an interview with the National Communications Network (NCN), on Thursday.

He said the finance, if approved, will fund the efforts coordinated by the Ministry of Public Health and other ministries to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Speaking about the requested amount, Jordan said, “We do not know if it will do, but let us say it is an initial request…if it (COVID-19) gets out of hand, we will see if to make another request.”

“I got a letter confirming that the request is being processed, so we are hoping that we can get access to the funds.”

As government awaits a response from the World Bank, it is also examining its other options. The Islamic Development, of which Guyana is a member, is putting in place a Rapid Response Fund, which government will be looking to tap, in the event that there are existing gaps in the local response efforts, after getting the finance from the World Bank.
Additionally, Jordan said the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will be hosting a “Skype Meeting” with “governors” in order to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the local economies and to see how the bank can render assistance. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have done the same.
The finance minister said government will, however, not reach out to the IMF for funding, unless it is for a grant.

In addition to international financing, there is also the option of accessing funds from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), which is in the United States of America (USA)’s Federal Reserve Bank.

“The NRF is a last resort just by way of mention…I don’t think it will be available…the drawings from the fund have very stringent rules, however, Article 27 of the NRF Act, under emergency financing, in the occurrence of a major natural disaster, a request may be made by the Minister of Finance,” said Jordan, noting that the fund currently has US$55M which was acquired from the sale of Guyana’s first one million barrels of oil.

With those options on the table, the Ministry of Finance has already disbursed $120M from the consolidated fund to the Ministry of Public Health.

“We have disbursed $120M of which $73M was for capital expenditure and $28.4M for current expenditure…capital expenditure includes office furniture and medical equipment for the outfitting of quarantine sites at the various borders, while the current expenditure includes the procurement of masks, oxygen tanks and so forth,” said Minister Jordan.

The money was disbursed in anticipation of the virus reaching Guyana, but now that there have been five confirmed cases, Jordan said he expects a “flurry” of requests for financing in relation to pushing back against the virus.

It was reported on Thursday that President David Granger issued executive orders in alignment with the Public Health Ordinance.

With Guyana recording five cases of COVID-19 so far, President Granger, through the order, said immediate action is necessary to address the virus. In that regard, he directed Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, to “restrain, segregate and isolate” persons suffering from the disease or those who may be affected from exposure to the infection.
President Granger, as part of the order, has even called on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and other law enforcement agencies to provide assistance with the enforcement of the various measures, where necessary.

Among the menu of measures ordered by President Granger was the containment of persons who may show signs of COVID-19 and the provision of curative treatment for persons who are suffering the disease. The President also directed Minister Lawrence to remove, disinfect and destroy the personal effects, goods, buildings and any other article, material or thing exposed to the virus. The minister was also ordered to prevent the spread of the virus on the seas, rivers and waters of Guyana, and on the high seas within twelve miles from the baseline, as well as on land, among other things.

President Granger had said funding the various initiatives will be handled by the Minister of Finance, who was directed to expend from the Consolidate Fund such sums of money as may be necessary for the effectual carrying out of any or all of the measures listed.
Section 20 (2) of the Public Health Ordinance provides that the President may, in case of an emergency, expend from the public funds of Guyana such sums of money as may be necessary for the effectual carrying out of any or all of the provisions of Part III of the Ordinance which concerns “notifiable infectious diseases.”

“All government agencies and local government authorities are urged to render assistance and cooperation to undertake critical, urgent and appropriate response and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat,” said President Granger.
He also said all citizens, residents, tourists and members of the private sector must act in accordance with the law and comply with any lawful directives and advisories issued by appropriate government agencies to prevent further transmission of the COVID-19 and ensure the safety and wellbeing of all.

According to the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

The coronavirus outbreak reportedly originated in Wuhan, China, and has since spread to many other countries, including some in the Americas. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, coughs, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Persons who suspect that they may have the virus are advised not to visit a health facility, but instead call on several provided hotlines where it can be arranged for a health team to visit. Lawrence noted that additional hotline numbers have been added, and staff has been increased to deal with this area. The numbers are 226-7480; 229-7490; 231-1166; 227-4986; 624-6674; 624-2819; 624-9355.