Just over one year ago, Guyana was met with its very first case of the novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Up to that time, our country had observed, with much anxiety and concern, as the virus rapidly spread throughout other parts of the world, taking with it, hundreds of thousands- and what would later become millions- of lives.

When our own country was hit with the stark reality of what would be our new norm, we had no choice but to adapt quickly to the astronomical changes that would follow. Swift action by our Government was required to implement stringent protocols and initiatives that would help to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In August 2020, when our People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Administration took office, no time was spared in tackling this deadly disease- as the health, wellbeing and survival of our Guyanese people were paramount.

A major focus was bringing relief to our people. COVID-19 had disrupted not only people’s health and well being, but also affected their economic and personal lives- jobs were lost, incomes were reduced and our people were left in a state of gross uncertainty as to how they would earn, and in many cases, what they would eat. Cognisant of the need for relief in these areas, our Government introduced a $25,000 cash grant intended to be distributed to every household in Guyana and aimed at supporting families to fill the gap of expenses that had been so suddenly created by the effects of the pandemic.

This grant- which was widely applauded and well received by our citizens- was just one among several COVID-19 relief measures aimed at providing immediate relief. This cash grant went hand in hand with ongoing works by the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC) to distribute relief hampers as part of our Government’s efforts to tackle the Coronavirus by encouraging persons to stay at home. The hampers consisted of food and cleaning essentials and were distributed to vulnerable communities across the country.

Our Government also launched ‘Operation CoviCurb’, a massive education campaign aimed at implementing strict adherence to COVID-19 preventative protocols, thereby encouraging the reduction of the spread of the disease through education, clear communication and moral suasion. Operation CoviCurb involved over 5,000 persons across multiple sectors and agencies including members of the joint services and volunteers. A hotline was established to encourage anonymous reporting of persons not adhering to protocols put in place. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) also played its part in the initiative by ensuring the proper wearing of masks in public, the practice of social distancing, and the compliance of citizens with social restrictions and the curfew.

In the bigger picture, we devised a two-phased approach in battling COVID-19. Phase One sought to build the capacity of health care facilities to deal with the spread, care and treatment of persons who contracted COVID-19. Phase Two looked at vaccination and that phase began in February 2021, following the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines through a generous donation from our CARICOM sister-state Barbados. Those vaccines were reserved for our frontline workers who face the brunt of the risk every day against the disease. Most recently, an additional 80,000 vaccines arrived in Guyana from India and once all frontline workers have been given the chance to receive these vaccines, the elderly, members of the Joint Services and teachers will be next in line.

Of course, we acknowledge that there remains wide skepticism about these vaccines; skepticism that goes far beyond the shores of Guyana. However, the fact remains that the threat posed by COVID-19 remains significant and very real, but as a country, we can take the necessary steps to protect our people by encouraging them to take the vaccines, which, according to global data, have proven to be effective against the dominant strains of the virus. Our Government remains committed to also working with the private sector to ensure that our people can resume working in a safe environment, and precautionary measures such as the vaccines can help us to get there.

We hope that in time, with more persons vaccinated, that the restrictions currently imposed will gradually be lifted and we can move on to living lives that are as close to the normalcy that we remembered.

To date, the measures implemented have all played an important role in ensuring that we protect our citizens. And while, despite our utmost efforts- including amped up testing countrywide to ensure that we are aware of the true extent of the virus- we still lost over 200 lives to the disease. Our Government remains committed to continuing the implementation of rapid response and prevention measures countrywide, and encourages our citizens, to not only remain safe, but also to remain resilient and consider the best options that will guarantee them a long and healthy life in the future.