This past week, the Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence announced that the Pan-American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) has projected that there will be about 1400 cases of COVID-19 in Guyana. Now, more than ever, we HAVE TO take all precautions to help mitigate the effects of this virus.

This disease, otherwise referred to as the ‘coronavirus’, causes respiratory illness, with symptoms including coughing, fever, and difficulty breathing in more severe cases. And up to Tuesday when I wrote this article, there were 12 confirmed cases of persons infected with the virus and two deaths had been recorded so far.

With the projection in mind, the public health sector has been preparing in step for the moderate, severe and critical cases. Wider, other sectors and persons in society have been adopting measures to mitigate the potential devastation, including but not limited to facilitating social distancing. I was extremely pleased to see the curfew imposed in Linden and New Amsterdam.

Now here’s the thing, while the PAHO/WHO projects this mammoth total (in the context of our population size), I believe that we can help flatten the curve and reduce the spread.

All of the relevant authorities and stakeholders have been stressing that we should not have large gatherings as a fundamental precaution against contracting the virus and facilitating its spread. It is truly exasperating seeing how many persons are not taking this virus seriously, as are still going about their daily activities as though it isn’t a cause for grave concern.

I don’t like staying at home and staying put as much as the next person, but I understand how important it is to take the precautions to safeguard my health and to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. I’m staying in a dorm, on lockdown, with about 50 other students. If just one of us is infected, that would be catastrophic for all of us. Imagine, being cognisant of the potential harm that can be caused and still choosing to go to large gatherings where contracting the coronavirus would be easy. That is ridiculous.

It would remiss of me, however, to not recognise those persons that have no choice but to put themselves in harm’s ways. On one hand, we have the essential workers and on the other, those who aren’t essential workers but working is essential for them to, frankly, survive.

My grandmother is a nurse, hence she is an essential worker and thus, cannot stay home. Due to her age and the correlation between age and the increased susceptibility to the virus, I worry tremendously for her and her safety. There are so many people like her providing essential services and putting themselves in harm’s way to ensure that these services are still provided to all of us.

Then, we still have to be very wary of the people who cannot afford to stay away from work, simply because it provides them with their daily bread. Knowing that poor people are putting themselves in harm’s way, intentionally, because they don’t have an alternative is truly saddening and my heart goes out to those persons. I saw news of the government’s ‘Stimulus package’ in St. Kitts and Nevis and truly wished that this would be something that materialises in Guyana, especially for these persons.

The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Timothy Harris announced a nearly EC$120 million stimulus package, which was reported as the largest assistance package announced by any government in the Caribbean region. According to him, this will be used to fund the current public assistance initiatives to which all affected are entitled to apply and to cushion the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis, and resulting economics package.

At home, it was reported that our Finance Minister Winston Jordan approached the World Bank for a loan to help the country prepare for the effects of COVID-19. Jordan indicated that this would just be an initial asking and that the country will ask for more if need be. He also mentioned that the country’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF), which holds oil revenues, is a potential source of money that the country can tap into. He, however, alluded that the stringent rules for accessing funds from the NRF point to this being more of a last result. Either way, I hope that some consideration is given to those persons who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

This election conundrum could be finished soon, or it could continue indefinitely. However, I am certain that with the concerted global efforts directed towards fighting COVID-19, sooner or later, solutions to stop the devastation it is creating will emerge. Until that time is here, I cannot emphasise enough how imperative it is to take all the necessary precautions. Wash your hands, stay inside (if possible) and be kind to the people around you. Let’s flatten this curve.