–Health Minister says, urges persons to have vaccination cards with them at all times

THE National COVID-19 Task Force is expected to commence a rigorous campaign, which will see officers conducting random visits to restaurants, bars, government agencies, and even transportation hubs, all in an attempt to ensure there is strict compliance with the COVID-19 emergency measures.
This is according to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, during his COVID-19 update with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Friday.
“The COVID Task Force itself would be going out and, as you know, the Task Force is made up of people from the Joint Services. So, they will be going out from time to time; they’ll choose places at random, and just come in to check to see whether people are complying with the measures,” the health minister said.
As part of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which took effect on August 1, 2021, cinemas, casinos, and betting shops will be allowed to reopen at 40 per cent capacity, but persons desirous of accessing these services must provide proof that they have received at least one dose of any of the COVID-19 vaccines being administered here.

Dr. Anthony said that given the requirement that persons are to be vaccinated in order to access services provided by restaurants, bars and other establishments, the aim of the Task Force, through its random visits, is to ensure proprietors are enforcing the measures accordingly. In addition, the measures stipulate that all operators of public transportation are required to be vaccinated, and must have their vaccination card with an official form of identification on them at all times, so as to be able to produce the documents to any authorised personnel.
In keeping with this, the Task Force will also be visiting areas where minibus and speedboat operators ply their trade, to ensure there is adherence to the COVID-19 measures.
“If they are unvaccinated; if they are not able to show their vaccination card, well then they will have to face the penalties,” Dr. Anthony said.
Various government agencies have issued notices in accordance with Section 17 of the COVID-19 emergency measures, noting that persons desirous of accessing those places must be vaccinated, or, alternatively, make an appointment and provide a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test taken within 72 hours.
Speaking about the measures being enacted by various government agencies to mandate that persons must meet the requirement to access the services, Dr. Anthony said: “I think that’s a good thing.”

He went on to mention that the Task Force will also visit government agencies, such as ministries, to ensure the rules are being followed.
Since the enactment of the new measures, there has been an increase in the number of persons visiting various sites to be inoculated against the COVID-19 virus. On Thursday, it was reported that more than 3,500 persons were administered the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We have vaccines; vaccines are not an issue. If you want to get your first dose, please come to any one of the vaccination sites, and get that first dose,” Dr. Anthony said as he urged persons to visit their nearest vaccination site to receive their vaccine and protect themselves and those around them from the deadly virus.
He stated that both first and second doses are available for the Astra-Zeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, and while only the first dose is presently available for the Sputnik V vaccine, the government is working to secure the second doses as soon as possible.
At the end of Thursday, statistics showed that some 260,403 persons, or 53.5 per cent of the country’s adult population, have received their first dose of at least one of the three vaccines available here, while some 143,302 persons, or 29.4 per cent of the adult population received their second dose.