AS Guyana prepares to usher in a few of its beloved religious festivities, including Phagwah, Easter and the Ramadan, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali is encouraging citizens to remain cognisant of the fact that the country, along with the rest of the world, is still fighting a deadly health pandemic. He therefore encouraged religious leaders and citizens to ensure that the auspicious holidays are observed under strict adherence to the approved COVID-19 guidelines. Phagwah or Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colours, will be observed this weekend, while Easter, along with the Islamic Holy Month of Ramadan will be observed in April. Despite being religious holidays, many of these festivals are often celebrated by Guyanese from all walks of life. In the absence of the coronavirus, the 2021 celebrations would have been no different.
“The pandemic remains a serious national issue; a major global health concern,” the President reminded during a broadcast address to the nation on Wednesday night.
As he updated the country on the expansion of the national vaccination programme, Dr. Ali underscored the need for Guyanese to continue to follow the instituted guidelines, including the curfew.

“I urge you to continue to stay safe, I urge you to continue to protect your families and your communities….We are not ahead of the curve; we are still managing this deadly pandemic,” the President posited. He said that in order to fight the ongoing health crisis, the support of all citizens is imperative. “We need all stakeholders; we need all Guyanese on board,” Dr. Ali emphasised. He noted that while the Government has sought to strike the balance between the economy and the health management of the COVID-19 pandemic, “we have to be responsible”. The Head of State stressed that businesses must understand that it is critical for them to adhere to the 40 per cent occupancy, as well as other COVID-19 protocols that have been instituted to ensure the safe operations of businesses.
President Ali announced that advice has been given to the National COVID-19 Task Force to pursue charges against owners of establishments that are found in breach of the guidelines. “We have lost too many lives already,” Dr. Ali lamented. He said that the Government will continue to spare no efforts in ensuring that all the citizens of Guyana are vaccinated as quickly as possible. “But we too, all of us, have a responsibility to help in this process,” the President posited.
He further warned Guyanese to take the COVID-19 guidelines seriously, to get out of this pandemic as quickly as possible.