– Public Security Minister urges citizens to take COVID-19 seriously

THERE is only so much the government can do to encourage citizens to practice physical and social distancing during the pandemic. Beyond that, citizens must exercise self-discipline realising that if they flout the measures in place, they not only endanger themselves, but put at risk additional health workers and citizens of the country.

Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan sent a strong message to Guyanese on Sunday through 104.3 Power FM urging them to take a look at the recent spike and spread in COVID-19 cases which, undoubtedly, could have been avoided.

He said that the government, through the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), has put in place a number of measures meant to balance the protection of citizens and the maintenance of livelihoods, but many are taking the global health crisis, which has already killed millions, for granted.

“A lot of us are hard ears…and that is what has caused a spike. We have tried not to do [a] complete lockdown, as in other countries, because we know people got to live and people got to do their activity and all of that. So, we’ve done a curfew, 6pm to 6am largely and even so, after hours we notice people clustering, not wearing their masks, doing a number of things in crowded areas,” he lamented.

He added: “We have to ensure that people do the correct things as the measures have proclaimed and that they live in accordance with that, but we still have some people who want to drink late in the nights and they’re close enough to each other, they’re talking to each other, they’re not keeping their social distancing and that is what is causing this thing.”

To date, Guyana as recorded over 270 cases of the virus. On Saturday, the Ministry of Public Health reported that there were 16 new cases, carrying the total number of active cases to 135. On Sunday, the Guyana Chronicle broke the news of the country’s 15th COVID-19 related death, a 25-year-old teacher from the Rupununi Savannah.
Ramjattan said that the government, in response to the recent spike, has had to lockdown some Indigenous communities with no travel in our out and has had to halt mining in at least one area, amongst other measures.

However, in those Regions, close to the border with Brazil which has had over 1.5 million cases and over 64,000 deaths, there is still the challenge of porous borders where people, who have been warned not to, continue to cross over back and forth, spreading the virus to populated areas such a Georgetown, Bartica and Charity.

While enforcement is a last resort, the Public Security Minister said that even when the Guyana Police Force (GPF) arrests individuals, it has to consider the safety of the said individuals while in the lockups.

He therefore urged the listening public: “We have to understand that it will put a lot of pressure on our health services…if you get more cases coming in and the people are having breathing problems, they need respirators, you’re going to put so much more stress [on the system]. So, we are begging.”
He said in the observation of other countries which were among the first to be infected by the virus, is that those who were able to flatten their curve or even eliminate the virus in some parts did so not only on the basis of their public health systems, but through the cooperation of their citizens who were willing to be disciplined.

“The best way, as has been found in Singapore, even China itself, is people being disciplined. South Korea and these countries that have done well, it is discipline, citizenry, listening to what the authorities are saying, especially the Public Health Ministry and I think that is where we have to learn a thing or two as to how to ensure that we come out of this with minimum damage,” he advised.

Seeking to combat the spread before it worsens, the NCTF has instructed the Ministry of Public Security to create a Mobile Emergency Response and Enforcement Unit which will not only enforce the advisories but visit the new COVID-19 hotspots and arrest the situation.