Whenever a country faces a crisis of any kind be it natural disaster, war, or health related, the people likely to suffer the most are the poor and the vulnerable and this is because they have no buffers, financial or otherwise with which to ride out any literal or virtual storm. The worldwide spread of the coronavirus, Covid-19, unprecedented because of its pace, has proven that it can infect any and everyone from prince to pauper, from old to young. Yet, it is the poor and the vulnerable who will be most affected at the end of it all. Suffice it to say that an infection of this magnitude will seriously dent the strides made towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
In order to halt the spread of this virus, countries have closed borders, businesses and schools have closed, citizens are urged to go into quarantine, self-isolate or practice social distancing depending on their health status. Essential services are the only ones that can remain open. Global health authorities studying the virus and its patterns have warned that people who are older or have underlying health conditions are more vulnerable to not only contracting the virus but also dying from it.
As at Monday, March 30, the world was still playing a numbers game. There were more than 750,000 people infected globally and the death toll was over 36,000. Given the rampant spread of the virus, those numbers have undoubtedly been eclipsed today. And unfortunately, because there are many other factors that come into play, there are many who will die because of Covid-19, even though they might not become infected with it.
Lockdowns are mandatory if the world is to rid itself of this virus, yet they put those most in need in jeopardy. Closed schools have meant that those children whose only meal every day was the free hot lunch they received are now in dire straits. Soup kitchens have had to adapt. Some have closed and others remain open but serve takeout only. In countries where winter lingers, the poor who were used to warming up inside the soup kitchen are denied that. In some places, volunteers, who are not considered essential workers, are not as available as before forcing an end to services that benefit the vulnerable.
But perhaps the worst of it is the panic buying that has also taken over the world, much like the virus has, but unlike Covid-19, favours certain sections of the population. People who could afford it, ravaged supermarkets and pharmacies, clearing shelves of toilet paper, disinfectants, gloves, masks, food items and flu and headache medicines, returning for more after restocking was done until some places had none left. Those who did not have the wherewithal to shop and store (the poor) found themselves with nothing left to purchase in some instances. A belated response to this conundrum has seen some stores limiting the number of particular items any one shopper can purchase in the attempt to curb uninhibited shopping though that horse has long left the stable.
Guyana’s response to Covid-19 has neither been swift nor comprehensive. Last week, there were five known cases in the country. As at Monday, that number had risen to eight. A rise had been predicted, yet the Ministry of Public Health has been most desultory in its actions as has the government. As at Monday also, three areas of the country had proclaimed that they were implementing measures against Covid-19. Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) announced a two-week curfew, beginning Saturday, which mandates all citizens, except essential workers to stay out of public spaces between 5 am and 8 pm. Further, all businesses are required to remain closed between 6 am and 6 pm, except for supermarkets and pharmacies, while restaurants and bars can offer delivery or takeout only.
In New Amsterdam, the town council on Sunday announced the immediate closure of all bars, night clubs, beauty salons, barber shops and tattoo and piercing parlours. Supermarkets and groceries are now required to close at 4.30 pm and to limit the number of customers they serve at any one time. Restaurants can only deliver up to 4 pm and pharmacies should close by 6 pm. The town’s market is also affected as it will only open until noon five days a week and would be closed entirely on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Meanwhile, Bartica’s mayor issued a ‘stay at home’ advisory for two weeks beginning March 28. While shops and essential services would remain open, all others were to stay closed and residents were to remain at home unless they were going to work or to shop for food items.
Unfortunately, and perhaps it is an oversight, none of the three areas, nor the government has announced any sort of relief for any of the mainly small businesses that are affected by these actions. Some are so small that they will be unable to pay their staff for the two weeks, or where it is a one-person operation, feed their families. Some will undoubtedly fold, as their owners take a step back into deeper poverty.
On Monday, Jamaica announced the implementation of special measures to treat with the poor and vulnerable including distributing care packages to beggars for a period of three months. Why is it that no one has so far mentioned relief for our local poor and vulnerable? Perhaps it is because, to paraphrase Dickens, these are the best of times and the worst of times, the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness. We know that we surely are in a season of darkness and we hopefully await our season of light.