Region Three has 98% compliance with Public Health Ordinance
A section of Region Three after the curfew
A section of Region Three after the curfew

AS COVID-19 continues to be a threat to human lives, several regions have established their own Regional Task Forces to ensure that citizens are complying with the National Task Force’s measures that are being implemented.

The Essequibo Islands – West Demerara region (Region Three) has been moving apace with keeping their people in compliance with the measures. In the face of claims from two articles published in the Guyana Times, contending that the region has not been complying, the task force has refutted every allegation. It said that their team is working feverishly and has been achieving 98% compliance thus far. The 2% accounts for those who have not been sensitised, and those who for various reasons, ran a little late.

Secretary of the Regional Task Force of Region Three, Ganesh Mahipaul

Regional Commander Simon McBean, who is also the Guyana Police Force’s representative on the region’s task force, confirmed in an interview with this newspaper that officers are patrolling every night to keep people off the streets, post-curfew. “We have established road blocks at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Den Amstel, Leonora, Vreed-en-Hoop, Wales and other key areas in the region. The road block is for us to target non-essential vehicles, and enquire where they’re headed and what they are going there for. This task force that was put together, is a team consisting of police and members from the Ministry of Public Health and we have been going around, at each business establishment and ensuring that they are operating within the guidelines provided. And we also have our patrols going around to ensure that people are off the road,” McBean said.

He noted that there are some instances where some persons are caught on the road after six, but by 6:30PM, the roads are cleared.

“We haven’t been having the issues raised in the article. We have had issues in the earlies but it was as a result of lack of knowledge, but we rectified that and we no longer have those issues. Between the first order that was issued, and the second one, there were some changes that some people weren’t au fait with, but as it is now, everyone is sensitised, and [that]issue has been rectified,” he said.

Echoing the commander’s sentiments and elaborating a bit further, Secretary of the said regional task force, Ganesh Mahipaul told this publication that it has become their daily duty to ensure that people are adhering to the Ministry of Public Health ordinance in this fight against COVID-19.

Mahipaul said that even though there is a national task force, a regional one is necessary since each region’s dynamics are unique. “We understand, appreciate and accept that every region has their own little dynamics, because of the difference in terms of activities, and likes. And therefore the way you plan and execute will have to take a different format from other regions, and so on. Region Three is a very peculiar place, in the sense that we are the hub, or an in-transit point for the interior location, for Region Two, and our region links to Georgetown, which is the main economic hub. And we do believe that there is need for proper sensitisation of the COVID-19 Public Health ordinance. So when this ordinance was issued, what we did as a task force in Region Three was to basically be like an information agency in our region. Because as much as we have persons that may be well au fait with technology and they may be getting their newspapers and be informed by our media, there are still communities that will require information the old-fashioned way. So our police and our entire team, we took advantage of the situation and went into communities and sensitised them,” he said.

Regional Commander Simon McBean

Mahipaul said that at the initial stage of the order, they were not as strict with the people, but were rather ensuring that they are properly au fait with what is going on.
“We didn’t want to go the stringent way from day one, being this kind of robust bullying, or so to speak. So we took the opportunity to sensitise people within the Vreed-en-Hoop area which is a business hub for us in the region, Parika area, Leonora Market, Wales area and the main areas that entertain a gathering. We tried our utmost to sensitise them on the importance of staying home, on the importance of the six feet apart, on the importance of wearing the face mask and the likes. We ensured that they understand why this is all necessary,” he said.

But as of two weeks ago, the region has taken the posture to implement these measures in a stringent, robust way.
“Because I believe we would have as a regional task force, done our part, in terms of sensitising the people on the importance of the measures being taken.

The article I saw in Times I believe it is wicked, calculated to create mischief, and is more or less trying to serve as a distraction for whatever reason. Following the publication of that article, I deliberately breached the lockdown procedure to take a drive from Patentia to Parika to see for myself and there were no such things as the article contends. So I can say confidently, that the regional task force is well on top of this with the guidance from the national task force and the Public Health ordinance, and we are implementing those measures to the best of our ability,” Mahipaul said.

Additionally, he said they are also conducting weekly sanitisation of hospitals and government buildings as part of their fight against the deadly virus.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.