– Adviser to the Ministry of Health says

ADVISER to the Ministry of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, has opined that COVID-19 passes should be instituted for work and social settings in Guyana as a way to protect those persons who have taken the vaccine.
This comment was part of a post made on his social media page on Sunday.
The former health minister’s statement comes on the heels of an announcement made by French President Emmanuel Macron to have the rights of health workers and other frontline workers protected against persons who are opting out of the country’s vaccine drive.
Those protective measures being taken by France include the presentation of newly instituted health passes, which goes into effect in August and will be used for access to shops, bars, cinemas and long-distance train journeys in the country.
Nightclubs, festivals, theatres and hospitals will also require these passes come July 21 from those above 12-years-old.
Dr. Ramsammy noted that this type of policy complements the current global position of non- compulsory vaccination to protect citizens who have taken the vaccine from being unwillingly exposed to the deadly virus.

“The most comprehensive policy on COVID-19 vaccination has been announced by the French President. It basically preserves the non-compulsory vaccination policy we all have, but it takes steps to protect those citizens who are vaccinated from those who are non-vaccinated. While someone has a right to refuse the vaccine those persons do not have a right to expose the rest of us to their reckless risks,” said Dr. Ramsammy.
In France, he noted that those unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine will be required to present negative COVID-19 tests when entering work sites. These costs for frequent testing according to Dr. Ramsammy, would be covered solely by the individual instead of the government.
“A health worker or teacher or other frontline workers can only go to work if they are vaccinated or produce a weekly test result to show they are negative, the test being at their personal cost. The same applies to going to a restaurant or to a show or in public transportation or in any other public place. If you want to exercise a right to not take the vaccine you must be prepared to face the consequences at your cost, not mine. France is doing the right thing. We must all do the same,” Ramsammy’s Facebook post read.
Government has been rolling out an aggressive COVID-19 vaccination programme which will give those above the age of 18 an opportunity to receive a vaccine to protect themselves against the severe form of the virus. Currently, government is offering first and second doses of the Russian-produced Sputnik V vaccine, the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine, and the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.