Region Ten will be instituting a two-week nightly curfew beginning tomorrow in an effort to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Vehicular traffic through the region will also be restricted.
The measures were announced yesterday by the Mayor of Linden Waneka Arrindell, who said the decision was agreed upon during an emergency meeting at the Regional Democratic Council Boardroom by all stakeholders in the region, including Colonel Eon Murray of the army, Regional Chairman Renis Morian, Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph, Deputy Mayor Wainwright Bethune, Police Commander Hugh Winter, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Orrin Gordon, and Deputy Regional Executive Officer (DREO) Maylene Stephen.
During the almost three-hour-long meeting, the regional authorities discussed how Region Ten residents have been responding to the COVID-19 threat. So far, Guyana has five confirmed cases, including one death.
In a statement to the press, Arrindell said that she was very disappointed and somewhat alarmed by the behaviour of several residents who are operating as though COVID-19 cannot affect the region.
“I am appalled to see how several businesses are open late at nights with large crowds of people mingling as though everything is okay. We as a municipality along with the various stakeholders have to put systems in place so that people would recognise that it cannot be business or our lives as usual because serious measures must be taken so as to ensure the safety of others,” she said before asking all stakeholders to support the curfew.
“Today a team of us have met from all the stakeholders of Region Ten to look at various initiatives that have been put in place to safeguard the lives of our residents,” Morian said before inviting the Mayor to make the announcement.
Tomorrow all businesses in the region are expected to close at 6 pm, with the exception of pharmacies and supermarkets, which will be allowed to close until 7 pm.
Additionally, citizens, except essential workers with ID (nurses, police, military, and utility company workers) must be in their homes from 8 pm until 6 am.
Businesses are directed to offer only take-out and delivery services and cease all dining and drinking events.
Arrindell noted that should persons choose to resist the order, police will take all the “required actions,” including detention, if necessary. Additionally, she stated that the once the curfew comes into effect, police will be traveling around the region to ensure that persons adhere to the measure after concerns were raised that persons in the Region were not adhering to precautionary measures against COVID-19.
“We are asking the residents of Region Ten to please take note and adhere to this. This is for your safety as it is for ours,” Arrindell stated before adding that a team will be traversing the Region to sensitise persons about COVID-19 and the measures that needs to be taken to avoid infection.
“What we have done, we got all stakeholders on board—police, army, fire officials, water officials, GRA [the Guyana Revenue Authority], everybody is on board—and those persons that are placed into various committees and in case things escalate, we have the support of our army and that is something we are very grateful for,” she stated.
The duration of the curfew and other restrictions will be extended if necessary.
During the meeting, Winter declared that his ranks are there to serve the people of Region Ten and added that his ranks will be informed of the decisions of the municipality and RDC and will ensure that the curfew is effective.
“I am certain that some persons would give resistance as its understandable that people are not keen in conditioning themselves to restricted movements, but this is important as it means that we are seeking to collaborate to ensure that residents are safe,” he declared.
At the meeting, it was also agreed that all vehicles travelling through the region will also be restricted after stakeholders present at the meeting agreed that “immediate and strict measures must be taken” if residents are to remain safe.
Stephens stressed that the measures being implemented will aid in saving lives and added that she expects residents and visitors to the region to consider the urgency of the situation and adhere to the new guidelines. Gordon said, “I am shocked to see how some residents have responded as they continue to operate as if everything is okay and we must ensure that we have a very strict monitoring system to prevent any loopholes. Persons will seek to exploit loopholes. I am urging those people who will be monitoring to recognise that even to those passing through our region must be monitored and will have to adhere to our set out guidelines.”
The meeting also saw the establishment of a Regional Heath Emergency Committee, as directed by the Ministry of Communities, with the REO, DREO, Linden Municipality, RDC, Disciplined Services, and Customs represented. Subcommittees that cover Health and Welfare, Safety and Security, Business and Transportation, Communications, and Logistics have since been formed. The committee will be operating 24 hours and a meeting will be held meeting every 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the Regional Health Officer Dr. Pansy Armstrong dispelled rumours that there are suspected COVID-19 cases in the region. She revealed that indeed there were two persons in Coomacka who had recently returned to Guyana but noted that they showed no symptoms of the disease during the 14-day quarantine period so they were allowed to leave.
