The pandemic in Guyana – Kaieteur News

The pandemic in Guyana


DEAR EDITOR,

As the pandemic is raging worldwide and with the new strains found in Brazil, South Africa and the UK, some of them are more infectious and one strain is more deadly, most countries take measures to protect their citizens. Some are closing their borders, introducing new restrictions and measures while the wealthy are vaccinating their risk and health officials. Guyana on the other hand, which lacks the capacity to handle growing daily outbreaks, has no vaccine in sight to vaccinate its vulnerable population opening. Bars are now allowed to operate at 40 percent capacity. Now tell me who will monitor a bar or rum shop where people are drunk, arguing and “gaffing” away? Can the bar owner tell a drunken crowd to disperse because of the 40 percent rule? This will certainly lead to chaos. If one of the new varieties is already in Trinidad, which has not fully opened its border, what makes one think it’s not already here with Brazil next door? Manaus is out of oxygen, this city is well connected to Boa Vista, which is close to Lethem. The Brazilian strain is most likely undiagnosed and what exacerbates it is that we do not have the ability to test for the newer strain. The airport should be closed at least until the second wave has passed and the most vulnerable are vaccinated. When one looks at what’s going on in the markets, in minibuses, school children on the road after school and even government activities, it’s total madness because there is no social distance and not most people wear a mask. So far, the government has not tried to secure vaccines from India when other CARICOM countries have done so. Editor, these developments are quite worrying and we must do everything we can to protect our Guyanese people and not endanger their lives.

B. John



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