IN light of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, the heads of the Joint services have taken strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus to their members of staff.
Measures range from providing staff with sanitation resources and making minor infrastructural changes to their stations.

Deputy Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force, Paul Williams, said that there are several systems in place to protect the officers. He explained that although the ranks of the GPF are still in-line, the GPF’s current operation is being guided by the Ministry of Public Health’s Guide for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 Virus.

“We are working to ensure that none of our ranks is exposed to this COVID-19 virus and it is because of that fact we have been reducing staff within the work environment through a system where we have them rotating every other day,” stated Williams.

Williams further explained that all ranks have been provided with the necessary sanitation resources to keep themselves protected from the virus. When asked what systems have been put in place with regards to traffic ranks attached to the GPF, Williams said, “in relation to the traffic ranks, we know they have to be in constant contact with persons and so we made sure that they are provided with gloves, sanitisers and, in the cases where it is necessary, face masks. They have also been warned to observe the health rules and best practices during their interactions with the public.”

Williams stated that, in addition to protecting the health of the ranks, the GPF is moving to ensure measures are in place to protect those persons who would need to visit the police stations, explaining that some additional infrastructural work was being addressed.
Williams added that “We are working to put in place, at all of the stations within the division, arrangements to deal with the public. We are already getting assistance to obtain a thermometer, with infrared capabilities, so that we can be able to have a high level of health and safety security for the ranks and persons who would be going to the varying stations.”

Director of the Guyana Prison Service, Gladwin Samuels, stated that the GPS has been following the instructions given by the Ministry of Public Health as it relates to the Health and safety of not only its ranks, but also the inmates of the prisons.
He stated that the GPS has made significant purchases to ensure it puts all measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus saying, “we have purchased over 10,000 gallons of hand sanitizers; we have several other things in our systems for both prisoners and officers.”

Samuels further stated that face masks have been purchased and have been distributed to the necessary persons according to the guidelines by the Ministry of Public Health. In addition to the system in place by the GPS and the GPF, the Guyana Fire Service has been working in a manner to not only protect its ranks from the virus, but has, in conjunction with the Mayor and City council, been working to implement systems for the sanitising of the streets surrounding the markets in Georgetown, through washing, two to three times a week, utilising the GFS’s fire trucks.