— company mandates weekly negative COVID-19 tests

WITH dozens of new coronavirus cases being detected daily, Giftland Group of Companies is now mandating its unvaccinated employees to submit negative PCR tests at the beginning of each work week. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the company opined that “It is critical that all people in the workforce get vaccinated against COVID-19, because of highly contagious variants.” The release also pointed to the fact that COVID-19-related hospitalisations and deaths are on the rise throughout the country.
“It has become a worldwide known fact that 99.5 per cent of all persons in hospitals and dying from the dreaded COVID viruses are unvaccinated,” the Giftland franchise recognised.
The company said that its decision is in keeping with continued efforts to protect its employees and patrons, and create a safe work and shopping environment for all Guyanese.
Giftland’s announcement follows the release of a strongly-worded statement from the Private Sector Commission (PSC) last week.

The grouping had called on its member companies to ensure that all of its unvaccinated employees submit medically certified proof that they do not have COVID-19. The PSC, in recognising the notable rise in coronavirus cases locally, also urged that government makes it mandatory for “all medical and security personnel in frontline contact with other persons to either be vaccinated or provide evidence of a medically current COVID-19 negative test.” The PSC also made a special call for “all places providing hospitality and entertainment services, including restaurants, require evidence of either vaccination or a medically current COVID-19 negative test from its customers in order for them to receive service.”
Earlier in May, Giftland became the first company to announce that it would not be hiring unvaccinated persons.

STERLING EFFORTS

Nonetheless, the PSC also lauded the government’s “sterling efforts to obtain vaccinations for our people in an effort to achieve herd immunity for the nation”.
As it is, Guyana is one of the very few countries that have managed to secure enough vaccines to inoculate its entire adult population. Notwithstanding this feat, there are some Guyanese who remain reluctant to take the vaccines. This situation was further compounded by a call from Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, for a suspension in the administering of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, even though he himself had been fully immunised with the same vaccine.
Nonetheless, the PSC, in its statement, had endorsed the position taken by the Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who maintained that “if you want to exercise a right to not take the vaccine [then] you must be prepared to face the consequences”. Dr. Ramsammy, a medical practitioner and a former Health Minister, had indicated that “while someone has the right to refuse the vaccine, those persons do not have a right to expose the rest of us to their reckless risks.”

LOGICAL FULFILMENT
Referencing Dr. Ramsammy’s arguments, Giftland said that its decision is a “logical fulfilment of the ethical commitment of all workers to put patrons as well as their colleagues first and [to] take all steps necessary to ensure their health and well-being are secured.”
Like the PSC, Giftland also lauded the government’s vaccination efforts, noting that the “Existing COVID-19 vaccine mandates have proven effective”.
It noted too that “As the healthcare community leads the way in procuring vaccines for our country, we hope all other employers across the country will implement effective policies to encourage vaccination. The health and safety of workers, families, communities and the nation depend on it.”
Ever since the coronavirus began its global rampage in 2020, the vaccines have been hailed as the only means by which the world can exit the current pandemic which has taken millions of lives, and continues to threaten the lives of those who have not been vaccinated.

Although the vaccines do not guard against the virus in its entirety, it provides enough antibodies to guard against severe symptoms and death. In Guyana, no vaccinated persons have been hospitalised or have died due to the virus. The country’s death toll currently stands at 530, and unfortunately, counting.
The government continues to ramp up its vaccination capacity. Efforts have also been made to extend vaccination hours well into the nights.
Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, had also encouraged Guyanese to take the vaccines now, as it could possibly become a costly commodity, due to increases in demand, coupled with globally proven efficacy. So far, Guyana has been administering the Sputnik V vaccine, Sinopharm, and the AstraZeneca. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic government is also working assiduously to secure the United States’ Pfizer vaccine, which is the only one approved for children. President, Dr. Irfaan Ali had assured that once Guyana is able to secure such vaccines, immunising the country’s children will be priority.