Dr. William Adu-Krow, Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) country representative in Guyana, believes it is time for a lockdown or stricter measures to be put in place to prevent large gatherings to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Following the announcement of COVID-19 as a global pandemic, a number of countries around the world have instituted total lockdowns to prevent the number of cases and deaths related to the virus from growing. Guyana has so far confirmed only five cases and no new cases have been recorded since last Thursday.
With the confirmed cases reported, a number of businesses, including bars, restaurants and clubs, have closed their doors so as to prevent gatherings that could in-turn facilitate the spread of the virus. Some, however, have not.
According to Dr. Adu-Krow, the next stage would be for the government to implement stricter measures or even a temporary lockdown with penalties in place for persons who do not adhere to advisories as it relates to participating in large gatherings. The country representative acknowledged that persons don’t like to obey rules, but insisted that the rules should be enforced. “I think the next stage will be government probably deciding, ‘Okay, enough is enough. You either obey the rules or we have police patrols actually moving people and making them pay fines,’” Dr. Adu-Krow told Stabroek News yesterday.
“I think until we do that we are gradually getting to a stage where if we have community spread it would be disastrous for us,” he added as he cited Trinidad & Tobago as an example, referring to the growth in the number of cases there in just a few days.
As a result, Dr. Adu-Krow emphasised that “we need to be serious” and that the gatherings inclusive of funerals and religious meetings should be put on hold for now.
‘Not business as usual’
Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle told Sta-broek News yesterday that a draft of guidelines in relation to deterring gatherings has recently been submitted to Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, to be presented to the Ministerial task force on COVID-19 and feedback is being awaited. Gordon-Boyle stated that some of the guidelines include a limit of the number of persons present at various places at any one time, inclusive of weddings and funerals.
“We have to be serious and I understand people are still meeting for drinks… like its business as usual and it can’t be business as usual. We really have to recognize that Guyana is right now in a battle for its life” Dr. Gordon-Boyle said. She added that a lot of advisories have been issued. However, the authorities may have to be more stringent and possibly add penalties. Dr. Gordon-Boyle further said that authorities are acting quickly and recommendations are being made early, “and if people really do adhere, I rather suspect we will be able to contain the epidemic, but if people continue to just ignore the guidelines we will have to move from guidance to more forceful regulated guidelines”.
Meanwhile, Dr Adu-Krow confirmed to Sta-broek News that the country received 700 testing kits and 400 screening kits from PAHO/WHO. It should last for a few months and plans are being made to have more kits available in the country. He noted that a number of protocols were in place at the ports of entry in Guyana as he said that about three temperature testing guns were deployed at Guyana’s two international airports.
On that note, when asked about the reported cases of persons who travelled back to Cuba from Guyana being infected with the virus, Adu-Krow said that he has only heard of one such case. “Once you have tested positive, it does not necessarily mean that this person got the condition from here. This person could have gotten it en route to Cuba through the travels,” he said, while adding that a number of other things need to be known, including where the individual spent time, to ascertain where they could have contracted the virus.
According to Gordon-Boyle, contact was made with the Foreign Affairs Ministry as that ministry was asked to intervene and attempt to verify whether the report is true.
WHO, in a situation report on COVID-19, mentioned that older persons and persons with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of getting severe COVID-19. According to Dr. Gordon Boyle, officials from the Ministry of Public Health visited six geriatric homes and provided sensitisation and training to staff members and nurses of the homes on taking care of the elderly, and how to prevent and protect them from exposure. She noted that measures that can or should be put in place includes reducing the number of persons going into the homes and how long they stay in the homes as she said that the ministry is actively working with the homes.
According to Adu-Krow, the general population should not be close together and if that is not possible the nurses and staff at the home would have to look for signs and symptoms from residents in the home and if that is detected that persons should be moved immediately to an area by themselves. He noted that there should be very stringent modalities for infection prevention and control.
Stabroek News observed a hand washing station placed just at the entrance of the Palms Geriatric Home, where persons entering and exiting the compound were asked to wash their hands. At the Uncle Eddie’s Home, according to the administrator, Bonita Moore, they received visits from officials at the health ministry and were given guidelines that they should follow. Moore stated that they also received five gallons of sanitizing cleaner from the Demerara Distillers Limited and a number of surfaces and areas in the home are sanitised regularly. She noted that there is a restriction on visitors being allowed into the home and if need be, the visitors are required to thoroughly wash their hands.
