THE Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has issued its most comprehensive and sweeping COVID-19 emergency measures in a Notice published on Friday last, pursuant to Paragraphs (1) and (2) (b) of President David Granger’s Direction, under the Public Health Ordinance published in the Official Gazette on 16 March, 2020.

The Notice imposed a curfew throughout Guyana from 3 April to 3 May, 2020, between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am. All citizens are required to stay at home, and in the confines of its yard space, unless otherwise stated in the Notice. The imposition of restrictions to social activities, and the restriction of any person hosting, attending or visiting any private parties, sporting events, weddings, funerals, wakes/vigils, bars, rum shops, clubs, bars and rum shops, weddings, funerals, gyms, beauty salons, spas or any other social activity is mentioned in Paragraph 2 of the MoPH notice.

A number of essential services are listed in Paragraph 6 of the MoPH Notice, and may carry on operations for 24 hours. These include hospitals, healthcare and medical services including pharmacies, drug stores, nursing homes and other utilities. Banks, supermarkets, fruit and vegetable stalls, neighborhood shops, food services (only for delivery, drive-thru and takeaway) and gas stations may operate between 6:00am to 5:00pm.
The MoPH Notice, in Paragraph 8, states that except for weddings and funerals, which are subject to certain limitations (in relation to number of guests), churches, mosques, temples and places of religious worship shall be closed.

To combat the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation, the MoPH Notice has imposed restrictions of land, air and water transportation. Operators cannot carry more than half the number of passengers the motor vehicle, vessel or aircraft is licensed to carry, and must also wear personal protective equipment. The restrictions on outbound flights at the Cheddi Jagan and Eugene F Correia International Airports remain in place, except for special outgoing flights.

Paragraph 7 of the MoPH Notice calls on any service mentioned in paragraphs 5 and 6 (public services and essential services) to implement social distancing and physical distancing protocols. Staff and other persons must maintain physical distance of six feet inside or outside of the establishment, as well as determining how many persons may enter the space, based on the ability to maintain the six-foot physical distance.
Finally, paragraph 11 states that it is an offence if any person fails to comply with any of the measures and would commit an offence under Section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance. That person shall also be liable, on summary conviction, to the penalty under that section.

The message is clear: Guyana has received the lockdown citizens have been asking to come into effect. Since coming into immediate effect on Friday last, when it announced, the Guyana Chronicle has noted that although most businesses have followed the guidelines laid out in the Notice, particularly as it pertains to closing at the directed times, some proprietors continue to flout the new rules. During a drive around Georgetown over the weekend, certain popular venues remained open, despite the new rules.

Patrons were also observed patronising various venues, and without wearing any personal protective equipment. The Guyana Police Force has begun patrolling the streets of our nation in order to enforce the new rules and curfew. Similarly, it is expected that businesses could run into trouble or lose their licence to operate, if they are caught breaking the new rules.

The success of these measures largely depends on everyone’s cooperation and commitment to stopping COVID-19 from taking a hold on Guyana. Citizens cannot afford to adopt a cavalier attitude, in light of such drastic measures coming into place. We have seen that many of our international allies are becoming overrun by COVID-19, and that even with world- class healthcare systems, they are struggling to cope, as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, along with a growing death toll.

Citizens are advised to adopt, without prejudice, the MoPH guidelines, and stay at home, unless it is absolutely necessary to leave. We have been lucky thus far to have recorded relatively few cases of COVID-19, but owing to the nature of the virus, its incubation period and pattern of transmission, we cannot be certain that it is not multiplying within our communities under the radar. Therefore, it is imperative that we practise social distancing, along with the other sanitisation guidelines issued.