City Council should enforce social distancing by implementing a partial lockdown in the central business district

Dear Sir,

OVER the last few days, citizens residing within and beyond the precincts of Georgetown have been calling me, apparently deeply troubled, about the city’s current response to the coronavirus. As a result, I have decided to share my thoughts about our collective approach to this global health emergency, particularly in light of our vulnerable political and economic posture as a nation, and limited resources, as a city.

Like every other Guyanese, I have an abiding interest in the public health of our national capital. I am particularly worried about the potential of this pandemic to wreak havoc on families, communities and our society. Indeed, many developed countries, including the United States, Italy, Spain, China, the United Kingdom, India and Iran have taken extreme measures to deal with this global health crisis. It is not necessary for me to mention that, some of those countries, so sorely affected have some of the best healthcare facilities in the world with advanced medical and allied technologies, some of the best hospitals [architecturally designed to provide the right environment for healing] with highly trained medical personnel. Still, they continue to witness increasingly alarming numbers of deaths related to COVID-19. This has forced them to put in place extreme measures, including total lockdowns and curfews, to protect their citizens. The expression: “extremis malis extrema remedia,” “desperate times call for desperate measures” [Greek physician, Hippocrates] rings true with this petrifying worldwide situation.

Unfortunately, in Guyana, we are telling a different story. Some citizens appear not to be taking seriously this infectious disease and its enormous potential to unravel the very fabric of our society. Calls, by health and other relevant officials for social distancing, and the exercise of due care on the part of citizens are falling on deaf ears, apparently. In fact, I have to say that, shockingly, with all that have been happening, in the world, some people are still speculating whether Covid-19 is real or fake news. How sad.

Nevertheless, it is true that, in extant political and economic circumstances, the Ministry of Public Health continues to do its best. Our doctors, nurses, health professionals and technicians continue to perform. They must be encouraged to keep up the fight against this deadly invisible enemy. But, as it is in all third world countries, our public health system has its limitations.

It is very clear then, that we need to take a commonsense approach that is overwhelmingly in the national interest. Such an approach should include a partial lockdown of certain central areas. This must be supported by central government to assist, especially, poor and vulnerable citizens, in local communities, to manage economic spin-offs, which, no doubt, would result from even a partial lockdown.

It is important that the competent authorities act now, to be proactive, and not wait until this health emergency transmogrify into a crisis that is way beyond our control, to be reactive. By that time, God forbid, it might be too late. That there could be no competing arguments against this action is not in doubt; this commonsense approach is about saving lives.
Sure, legal purists may have a different view about constitutional rights. However, this matter transcends the constitution, and legal niceties. In reality, there can be no greater priority than to protect and save the lives of Guyanese. In that context, there is urgent need for a government to be in place to provide the leadership and support in the fight against this dreaded disease. I hope that this national emergency would fortuitously prompt the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to bring to finality Guyana’s General and Regional Elections for 2020, held March 2, 2020.

Speaking more specifically about Georgetown, the nation’s capital. It is important to note that the city is the hub of commerce of our country. All of our main ports, and public utilities are located here. Central government, governmental ministries, all embassies and foreign missions are headquartered in Georgetown. More than 280,000 (two-hundred and eighty thousand) citizens reside in the capital with a transient population of about 90,000 (ninety thousand) citizens visiting the city to do business on a daily basis.

Therefore, the city must be treated with utmost attention, and its citizens with great respect, particularly when it is faced with certain environmental, public health or economic threats, such as the one it faces with COVID-19. The City Council is the government for the local government area, the city, as described in the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01. It has the responsibility to protect the city and all of its citizens from anything and everything injurious to their health, including infectious diseases. In a direct way, this is precisely why Chapter 28:01, section 74 (d) and (f) stipulates that, there shall be a “medical officer of health”, for the city, [although there is a Chief Medical Officer of Health in the Public Health Ministry ] and “such other officers as the council deems necessary for the performance of its functions under this act, the Public health Ordinance or any other law.”

It seems very clear to me that the Act envisaged that the city must be the first responder to any emergency that threatens the health, lives and livelihoods of its citizens. It must act [the council] in accordance with its powers and authority prescribed in Public Health Ordinance Chapter, 145, and the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01. For the council to do otherwise would be to abandon its statutory responsibility and noble duty to citizens.

Focusing on the pandemic, the City Council should implement a well- structured plan with health indicators, using best practices used by countries around the world affected by this pandemic. At minimum, the city authorities should do the following:

* Provide strong leadership;
* Provide a platform, internal and external, that would allow workers and citizens to access appropriate information on Covid- 19. Information is power and it empowers;
* Ensure that all departments and staff of the council are assisted with sanitisation materials and protective gear to carry out their official assignments;
* Ensure that all municipal buildings and equipment are properly sanitised on a regular basis;
* Install hand-washing and sanitising facilities at strategic locations, in the city;
* Make use of appropriate communication technologies to conference with councillors and committee heads to communicate information and take decisions on different aspects of plans to keep the city safe;
* Make optimum use of the Association of Municipalities to exchange information and share experiences on methods used by different municipalities to fight COVID-19;
* Use the provision in Chapter 28:01 (section 69 (1)) to establish a joint committee to work with other municipalities. This would allow for pooling of financial and other resources to fight Covid-19. Notwithstanding differences of cultures, this would assist all towns and municipalities to be consistent in messages and actions.

Finally, the City Council should enforce social distancing by implementing a partial lockdown in the central business district of Georgetown; a curfew would not yield the desired results. There are sufficient provisions in the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, and Public Health Ordinance, Chapter 145, for the Council to act, to protect the lives of citizens. In fact, the core responsibility of council is to secure the integrity of the health and safety of its citizens. All the activities of the municipality resolve around public health of local communities and the city as a whole; people’s health is the basic goal of the council. Other municipalities were wise and very prudent in their actions to help their communities and residents stay safe. I do not presume judgement or authority, but I have to say that Georgetown should do no less.
Yours truly

Royston King
Former Town Clerk
Georgetown Municipality

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