AFTER closing their doors for nearly a month, in support of the global call for physical distancing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) said on Monday that its retail stores will be reopened for business, effective today.

The company said in a press release that the stores at reference are those located at 55 Brickdam; Fogarty’s; Beterverwagting, on the East Coast Demerara; New Amsterdam, in Berbice; Linden; and on the Essequibo Coast, and that they will be open from 08:00 to 15:30hrs, Monday to Friday.

They’ve also put systems in place to dedicate 08:00 to 09:00hrs to serving senior citizens and those category of workers deemed ‘essential’.

Quoting their Chief Executive Officer, Justin Nedd, GTT said that the temporary closure was to put measures in place to ensure the health and safety of both its customers as well as members of staff.
“Our decision to close was in the best interest of the health and well-being of our staff and customers,” Nedd said, adding:

“During closure, we took the time to consider and implement recommended safety measures, and to procure the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our team.”

In closing, he said: “These are challenging times, and we are adjusting to the changing circumstances around us. I’d like to publicly thank the GTT team for agreeing to return to the stores to serve our customers who would prefer in-person transactions. However, e-commerce is the new normal, and the way of the future.”

The company is pleading with its customers to follow the guidelines it has implemented for preventing the spread of COVID-19, inclusive of the wearing of face masks; the washing or sanitising of hands; standing on markers 4-6 feet apart; submitting to regular temperature checks; as well as understanding that only a limited number of persons (inclusive of staff) will be permitted to be inside the store at any given time.

Noting that the guidelines also apply to members of staff serving customers, as well as the security guards, GTT said they will all be wearing their face masks and other protective gear.
It closed by encourages customers to continue using its MMG app to pay all of their bills, in the interest of convenience and safety.