The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) is continuing to provide families within vulnerable communities across the country with supplies as the country is currently under curfew due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Sunday, the CDC, which is a part of Guyana’s National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) commenced the distribution of relief supplies through the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) which include masks, hygiene products and food supplies to assist those in need. The commission through the NEOC will work along with a number of stakeholders including the private sector to mobilise the supplies to persons who are directly impacted by the measures implemented to aid in the fight against COVID-19.
Director General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel Kester Craig, told Stabroek News that the commission will be using data from the Ministry of Social Protection along with the Bureau of Statistics to identify which communities would be considered the most vulnerable communities and hampers will be distributed to households within those communities. The Director General stated that they are hoping to be able to distribute hampers to all households across the country and noted that so far, they have been able to distribute hampers to approximately 700 households in Regions Three, Four and Five.
Craig told Stabroek News that regrettably, he was unable to give a direct figure for the total cost of the entire operation, for even though the commission would have budgeted for changes in demand and supply for certain items, the budget would have been changed several times. Craig also mentioned that the commission has received donations of supplies and even funds, to aid in the procurement the supplies of the items to be placed in the hampers.
As the CDC continues its efforts to aid in the fight against COVID-19 in Guyana, a virtual meeting was hosted yesterday with over 50 representatives of various ministries, subvention agencies and utility companies to discuss Guyana’s National COVID-19 action plan. According to a press release, the meeting was called to establish sectoral roles and create an extensive mechanism to ensure the highest level of collaboration among all stakeholders.
It was noted that discussions coming out of the meeting will be forwarded to the NCTF in an attempt to refine the country’s action plan. Concerns raised in the meeting by agency representatives ranged from the omission of “critical sectors” from the category of essential services to the enforcement of the curfew and even alternative provisions for farmers.
