THE Civil Defence Commission, through its National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC), on Wednesday, held a virtual meeting with several stakeholders to discuss continued collaborative efforts to aid Guyana’s fight against the novel coronavirus.

Representatives of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) provided updates on several initiatives.

These included the distribution of sanitation supplies to aid the cleaning of municipal markets, mobilisation and importation of supplies and the delivery of hampers to households in vulnerable communities. Chairing Wednesday’s session was CDC Senior Response Officer, Captain Salim October, who provided clarity on the distribution exercise.
October noted that several factors are taken into account such as the loss of income, prevalence of unemployment, and the number of single-parent households in a community.

It was noted that while there is the belief that the pace of the Commission’s distribution exercise could be increased, persons must be cognisant of the fact that the Commission had the foresight to procure supplies before the situation drastically changed from then to now.

Captain October also disclosed that the Commission would shortly be executing several other distribution exercises. Members of the private sector also expressed satisfaction to be actively engaged in the national issue. The NEOC was activated on March 31, to ensure the highest level of collaboration among all stakeholders to further prevent the spread of the disease, to enhance preparation, and strengthen the local response to the global pandemic. (DPI)