Dear Editor,
I hereby address the Citizens of Georgetown which stretches from the Eccles/Agricola Dam to the Industry Crown Dam.
As the duly elected Mayor, on behalf of the councillors and the city administrators, I hereby encourage citizens to note the following:
1. The Mayor and Councillors of the City of George-town stands resolute with the Government of Guyana in combating COVID-19 (formerly novel coronavirus), as such, this notice is subject to change in accordance with national guidelines.
Therefore, we will abide by the curfew and measures outlined in the National Emergency Measures.
Please be advised of the following: –
a) Food services and restaurants only for delivery, drive thru and take away services;
b) Our municipal markets and all street vending will operate between the hours from 7 am to 2 pm. In addition, please note: –
● As per the Mayor and City Council and national laws and bylaws, produce must be stored 6 inches above the ground.
● Regularly sanitize commonly touched surfaces with bleach and water solutions.
● Wearing of face masks is mandatory to maintain your safety and that of patrons.
● Cough and sneeze into the crook of your elbow if you do not have a tissue
● Stay home if you are ill and contact the COVID-19 hotline
● Avoid close contact with people who have flu- like symptoms
●` Ensure that social and physical distancing is practised at your stall/caravan.
● Maintain at least 2 metres (approximately 6 feet) distance between yourself and others, especially anyone who is coughing or showing signs of flu-like illness.
● For caravan operators, please ensure that a system is in place for persons to be sanitized whereby a sink is equipped with potable water and soap before they access your goods.
c) For our patrons and customers of our markets, please note face masks are mandatory to enter the inside of the markets.
2. (a) A national curfew was imposed from the 3rd April, 2020 to 3rd May, 2020 between the hours of 6:00pm and 6:00am.
I advise that citizens read the document to familiarize themselves and have deeper insight on the details of the aforementioned.
3. Please be reminded that our offices will be operating from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Furthermore, here are some points to note: –
We have temporarily closed our markets in the interest of our vendors and patrons to afford the installation of sufficient sanitation docks and ensuring that all of our markets are fully sanitized.
Presently, we are sanitizing the Bourda and Stabroek markets internally with the notion of re-opening those two markets on Tuesday, April 7,2020. Our other markets will be reopened by the end of the week once all relevant systems are in place.
The matter of controlling the amount of persons entering the markets is being addressed.
All meats being sold must be packaged and not left out in open air.
In conclusion, any person who fails to comply with any of these measures commits an offence under section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance and is liable on summary conviction to the penalty provided under that section.
We advise you to remember that while Government and this municipality will continue to work out ways to keep our city safe, we encourage you to follow guidelines and practice social distancing.
Yours faithfully,
Ubraj Narine
Mayor of Georgetown
