COVID-19 provides a smoother hold on Easter Monday
Kaieteur News – Yesterday was Easter Monday, a day set aside to observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ as embraced by Christians. Over the years family and close friends (regardless of religion) have fallen, in numbers, on parks and other outdoor recreation facilities to fly kites, have a picnic and generally enjoy time together.
But the overall COVID-19 pandemic managed to put a damper on mirrored kite-flying activities across the country yesterday.
BERBICE
Families choose to stay home and fly kites
– as the police monitor activities
By Player Malisa Harry
Two neighbors trying to build a kite in the Kilcoy / Chesney Housing Scheme.
A kite salesman, Shameer Ali, is putting the finishing touches on one of his kites on sale.
With only a handful of colorful kites of all colors and pictures adorning the cloudy skies, Easter Monday in many parts of Berbice was not the same. Given that there were 60 cases of the deadly virus recorded in Region Six alone, the authorities have been working to keep the parks, ball fields and beaches closed to the public. While a few of the bars escaped the breach of gazetted COVID-19 orders over the weekend, yesterday police ranks were particularly vigilant in monitoring activity throughout the region. In addition, families were seen trying to pick up their kites from their open yard spaces and on the streets near their homes.
Before the pandemic many people from all over the country would have traveled across Berbice Bridge to join their counterparts in Berbice for the ‘Easter Monday Kite and Lime Flight’ activity on the 63 Beaches. Also, the cricket pitch at Albion would usually be filled to capacity with parents and their children picking up their kites of all colors, sizes, characters and colors, and of course the fields are known to have balls and grounds the kite flying activity community center. But with the arrival of the deadly coronavirus on our shores, families have been forced to adapt to the new way of celebrating and enjoying holidays like Easter.
Shame Ali displays one of his kites yesterday.
Little Fiaz is all set to fly his kite.
Yesterday kite salesmen were still selling a variety of kites but many said that business has not been as good as the previous Easter holidays. “This year it’s not all like the rest of the years … people buying kites but not much … the amount you provide to sell for the season you don’t get. People are kinda scared to buy kites too because they don’t know where to go to fly them but shudda dem (authorities) allow dem kids to fly a lil bit. Deh police demon at the ball fields while monitoring Canje but we have to accept and bless for the little mercy until things get better, ”Shameer Ali, a kite dealer from East Canje, told this publication.
Little Fiaz, armed with his kite and ‘baller of twine’, barely managed to spare a moment to photograph him before rushing off to fly his kite. He told this Kaieteur News reporter, “come fast, I have to go with an aunt to fly this kite.”
He was hurrying to beat the rain that was threatening to fall at the time. Before rushing off he made it clear that he was going to enjoy the day and made sure he was going to wear his face mask before he arrived at his aunt’s residence.
Commander in charge of District Six, Superintendent Jairam Ramlakhan, noted that his ranks were on the ground and “biting in the buds” since Sunday. He was at the time referring to intense efforts to prevent people violating COVID guidelines. The Commander revealed that a few arrests had been made. He also said he had also visited stations from Moleson Creek through to New Amsterdam to make sure his ranks kept things in order.
“The beach was like a ghost town … we have things under control,” Ramlakhan said, adding that the ball fields and community centers as well as bars and liquor shops are monitored by his ranks. The ranks of the Guyana Defense Force also participated in the monitoring activities yesterday.
Despite facing inclement weather and constraints, Berbs did not manage to have a good time yesterday as they observed Easter Monday.