IT is already two years since the coronavirus was diagnosed as a global pandemic. No other pandemic since the Spanish Flu over a century ago has resulted in so many deaths, with close to six million deaths and nearly half a billion infections by the COVID-19 virus, not to mention the billions of dollars in terms of economic losses due to lockdowns and economic contraction. Guyana has already recorded over 60,000 cases of COVID infections and over 1,200 deaths.

The effects of the pandemic however, went beyond the loss of lives and economic hardship. There is hardly any area of social life that was spared the debilitating effects of the pandemic. The education system was forced to adopt new and creative ways of delivering education due to the closure of schools; many workers were either laid off or were forced to work from home and there is generally a significant disruption of the social and cultural life of the Guyanese people

Make no mistake about the virus. It will not go away any time soon and from all indications, we are in for a long haul insofar as the longevity of the virus is concerned. In fact, the virus has displayed a remarkable ability to mutate as in the case of both the Delta and Omicron variants, both displaying higher levels of transmissibility.

What all of that is saying to us, is that in dealing with the virus we have to, as it were, learn to hit the ground running; that is, being able to continue with our individual and national lives while at the same time taking all the necessary precautions to avoid being infected by the virus. The good thing is that the vaccines are available in Guyana for the full cohort of the adult population and eligible teenagers. According to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, over 850,000 doses of the vaccines have already been administered. This compares favourably with many countries in the Region and the world as a whole. Guyana is gradually moving in the direction of herd immunity, having already vaccinated a critical mass of Guyanese against the deadly virus.

It is in the above context that a decision was taken by the Guyana Government to make some changes to the Emergency COVID-19 Measures, which allowed for the lifting of the curfew with immediate effect. According to a release from the National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat, the curfew has been lifted with effect from Friday, 11 February, in keeping with a directive by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali to the Prime Minister to revisit the issue of the curfew in keeping with global trends and the current state of the pandemic in the country.

The decision to lift the curfew was done with the national good in mind and in the best overall interest of the Guyanese people. The measure has been welcomed by the Guyanese people in general and the private-sector bodies in particular. The business community was severely affected by the lockdowns and curfews which have resulted in a slowing down of business activities and, in many cases, the laying off of workers.

The lifting of the curfew is expected to bring great relief to the hundreds of workers in the tourism and hospitality sector, which has been particularly affected by the lockdowns.

As to be expected, there will be those who will have contrary views and opinions on the decision to lift the curfew, some with political axes to grind. There may also be the well-meaning few who may see the decision as a bit hasty, but in the final analysis, it is the overall economic and social life of the society as a whole that is of overriding consideration.

For one thing: the lifting of the curfew does not mean that the other preventative measures will be put on hold. Guyanese are urged by President Ali, the Health Ministry and the COVID-19 Task Force to continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard themselves and their families against the virus, which continues to pose a health risk to the population. Besides, there is no empirical data to show any correlation between the imposition of the limited curfew and the reduction of infection rates.

In any event, the decision to lift the curfew does not mean that it cannot be reviewed should the situation so warrants. Guyanese were urged to demonstrate responsible behaviour, especially in light of the upcoming Mashramani celebrations. As noted by President Ali, ‘what is needed at this stage of dealing with the pandemic is ensuring that all the agencies have sanitation devices and ensuring that we continue to educate about the vaccination programmes and ensuring that the guidelines and protocols are observed.’

The inescapable truth is that, at least for the time being, we have little option but to continue to move on with our lives, even as we face the challenges of an existential threat. This is true for us in Guyana as it is for the rest of the world. The best-case scenario by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is that the acute phase of the virus could end by the end of this current year, provided that the 70 per cent vaccination target is achieved by the middle of the year. Given current trends, that target appears highly ambitious.