GUYANA will now progress even more rapidly with the Government’s lifting of the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for entry, as the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) experienced an increase of 90 per cent in passenger arrivals, for September 2022, when compared to September 2021.

This is according to the Head of Region Three Private Sector Inc. (R3PSInc), Halim Khan, who noted that the airport processed 31,050 arriving international passengers last month.
The decision to lift the COVID vaccine requirement for entry into Guyana took effect on October 7, 2022.

In an interview with this publication, Khan said over 70 per cent of the population had been vaccinated. As the country heads toward herd immunity, there is a major reduction in severe illness and deaths due to the coronavirus.

“Because of the COVID crisis, many countries have been synonymous with border closures and strict travel restrictions over the past two years and this has resulted in the destruction of many businesses and economies, thankfully most of the population are now vaccinated as Government aims to develop the country rapidly,” the businessman said.

He explained that the new measures would support the recovery of all sectors, especially tourism, as the number of jobs increases, contributing to the social and economic development of the country.
“Travel and tourism were among the worst-hit sectors during the pandemic,” he noted. “It is not just economies that suffer but people’s livelihoods and social wellbeing. Behind every job in travel and tourism, they say, is a face, a story, a family and sometimes a whole community’s livelihood.”

Khan said people can continue to do their part to protect themselves and others and reduce the spread of COVID-19 by getting vaccinated and boosted, using high-quality and well-fitted masks where appropriate, self-isolating if they have symptoms and self-testing if they can.

The COVID-19 pandemic, Khan emphasised, triggered the most severe recession in nearly a century and caused enormous damage to people’s health, jobs and well-being. As restrictions begin to ease “let’s take the path of recovery by supporting people and businesses to help adapt to a post-COVID world, as Guyana continues to progress.”

Meanwhile, the businessman said that, despite the burden of external shocks and domestic challenges, Guyana continues to maintain its position as a global leader in economic growth with a massive economy expansion in the first half of 2022.

“The 2022 Mid-Year Report recorded an overall real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 36.4 per cent with the non-oil economy growing by 8.3 per cent. This is as a result of Government’s policy and President Irfaan Ali’s foresight,” he added.