NOW that President Dr Irfaan Ali has corrected the COVID-19 Emergency Measures initially made by former President David Granger’s executive order, the trade unions which sought to challenge Granger’s executive order have, today, withdrawn their application at the High Court.

The application was filed by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU); Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) and their umbrella body, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC).

When the case came up for argument before acting Chief Justice Roxane George, the applicants’ attorney Darren Wade asked the Court to withdraw the case, claiming that the, “State has fixed the issue”.

The unions had challenged the COVID-19 emergency measures that were laid out in March 2020 by former President David Granger which have significant power to a grouping of government ministers only which was called the National COVID-19 Task Force.

Last month, President Ali issued an Executive Order correcting Granger’s blunder. In that order by President Ali, the Central Board of Health (CBH) assumed its full responsibility of issuing and managing COVID-19 regulations.

That power was taken away from the Minister of Health, bringing Guyana’s COVID-19 pandemic management regulations in line with the already-existing law, the 1934 Public Health Ordinance of Guyana.

The Chief Justice agreed that the recent development had made the trade unions’ application void, and struck it out.