Mayor Ubraj Narine yesterday announced that the council will not lock down Georgetown nor institute a curfew on non-essential services; instead the City will work with stakeholders such as the Ministry of Public Health to implement recommendations on social distancing and hygienic practices to battle the coronavirus.
“The city is not a light bulb where you can flick a switch and lock it down, we will not lock down the city… we will maintain our daily operations but we call on citizens to be very cautious in how you are dealing with yourself out there”, Narine told a press conference at City Hall yesterday.
He announced that Georgetown will work closely with the Ministry of Public Health and other stakeholders including the Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry but since the Capital City serves as the heart of the country a directive which locks the City will have to come from Central Government.
“I will be guided by government. I cannot go and lock down the City like that,” he maintained adding that President David Granger has signed an order which the city will implement while it awaits the next move from central government because “we have to fight COVID-19 as a team.”
Notably the March 16 order referenced by Narine actually calls on Local Govern-ment Authorities such as the City Council to render assistance and cooperate to undertake critical, urgent and appropriate responses and measures in a timely manner to curtail and eliminate the COVID-19 threat.
It is this imperative that has led to “partial shutdowns” or “curfews” within Linden, New Amsterdam and Corriverton. Town councils are taking their own decision but there appears to be no coordination among them or with the governmental task force that has been established. Critics say there is no coordination among the various tiers of the government and that the two-week lockdown of the two international airports should have been accompanied by complementary measures in the towns to prevent the transmission of the virus.
In Linden, businesses with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies have been ordered to close at 6pm and all persons are asked to clear the street by 7pm. In New Amsterdam non-essential businesses such as corner-side bars and beauty parlours have been closed while supermarkets and grocery shops have been given a 4:30 pm curfew. In Corriverton the municipal markets will be only be open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until while it will close on Wednesdays and Sundays for sanitizing.
Bartica meanwhile has announced the enforcement of “stay at home” measures. According to Mayor Gifford Marshall his council was concerned that a reduction in the hours for services would lead to more gatherings.
“We felt that a curfew would not be helpful. We didn’t want persons on the roads during the day congregating and possibly spreading the virus. Instead we wish to enforce social distancing all day and encourage persons to stay home unless it‘s absolutely necessary,” he explained.
When Narine was asked if he or the council has considered a curfew on non-essential services similar to what has been implemented in Linden and New Amsterdam, Narine said that the municipality does not have that power.
Authority
“Nowhere in 28:01 [The Municipal and District Council Act] give us the authority to put a curfew or restrict business to operate…this is a national issue and the city cannot make a decision to close businesses just like that. We will continue to work,” he claimed.
This is however not necessarily true as Section 31 (d) of the Act grants the municipality the right subject to the Public Health Ordinance to establish, erect, maintain, let, control and manage markets, market buildings, shops, stalls and stands. Section 31 (g) further grants the council the powers to regulate the mode and place in which any trade or manufacture may be carried out within the City.
Stabroek News reached out to former Town Clerk Royston King for an interpretation of the powers granted by the sections referenced and the Public Health Ordinance Chapter 145.
While he agreed that both sections empower the City to act including possibly implementing the curfew he maintained that there are no resources to enforce any such measure.
“In the case of Chapter 145 they would have to have a cadre of health professionals to do inspections and sanitizations of Guest houses, restaurants and so forth and the city just doesn’t have the human resources, the technological resources nor the financial resources for such an action. They can’t monitor the operations of other businesses on such a large scale either,” he explained.
According to King, in light of these limitations it is wiser for Narine to wait for Central government to implement measures as then it will be the central government responsible for enforcement.
He cautioned against a lockdown since Georgetown is more vulnerable than the other towns because of its strategic location as the nation’s capital.
“All the main utilities, ports and embassies are located here,” he reminded before adding that measures similar to those implemented in Corriverton might be successful.
“They can start at the municipal markets and implement a partial curfew which will do two things: raise awareness about the seriousness of the pandemic and help prevent the spread of it through social distancing,” he said.
Narine has called on restaurants to implement more takeaway options rather than dine and for businesses to provide hand sanitizers to all customers.
“We can defeat this virus by working together. We should take precautions,” he reiterated.
Asked if he and the other Mayors have considered the use of the Guyana Association of Municipalities to co-ordinate their response and policies rather than acting in a piecemeal fashion, Narine said he could not answer the question.
Asked if his council has met at all to decide on a policy framework or plan of action in case the pandemic spreads widely in the City, Narine claimed to be empowered to act on the Council’s behalf but noted that if necessary a round robin meeting could be conveyed via email.
