Guyana has been in a partial “lockdown” since the start of April, following the confirmation of our first COVID-19 case on March 11. All non- essential businesses were told to cease operations, and citizens were told about social distancing and the sanitising measures that we need to take in order to protect ourselves and to curb the spread of the infectious disease.
People adhered and stayed at home for a while and the most successful home projects to date seem to be the forays into gardening. The efforts of the many Guyanese who have started their home gardens should be greatly applauded. They have taken their “grow your own food” initiative seriously and have been able to reap the fruits and veggies of their labour.
We have also seen small business people who were previously considered to be “non-essential” become creative and find ways to fit into the “essential business” category, either by selling health products or food.
But after almost three months of being at home, people have naturally grown tired and somewhere, somehow we have either convinced ourselves that the virus has gone away or that we (after all this time ) must now be immune to it. I say this because life seems to have gone back to normal for many Guyanese as we have been finding ways of “liming” before, during and after curfew hours. Bars are technically not allowed to be opened but inventive Guyanese have found ways to defy social distancing orders to meet up and drink. We have somehow managed to convince ourselves that it is “safe” to hang out with our closest friends (without wearing masks) because they are (probably) taking the same “safety precautions” as we are.
It was only a few days ago that the WHO warned that globally cases are increasing rapidly and one of the biggest culprits is that people are not adhering to social distancing orders and some may not even be wearing masks when they go out.
From a psychological perspective, it is human nature to want to socialise, to interact and to “de-stress” by being in the company of others. We have been “locked up” for months and have started to become lax with our own safety precautions long before the authorities have given us the go ahead to do so. And we can also be certain that this has had a direct correlation with the surge in cases that we’ve seen as we are now over the 200 mark of infected persons here in Guyana.
We need to, therefore, take a moment to reflect on our own lives and if we fall into the category of those flouting safety orders then it would do us well to remember that the virus has not magically gone away, that there is still no vaccine and that our next door neighbour Brazil is the second most infected country in the world.
It would also do us well to remember that we in Guyana don’t have super immunity against the virus and that it somehow “can’t touch us.” We must continue to follow the safety guidelines of social distancing, hand washing and using a mask every time we have to leave our homes.
Do remember that technology has come a long way and we can now use WhatsApp or Facetime, or Facebook, Skype or Zoom calls to stay in touch with family and friends. And if you feel like having a drink, bring out a bottle and have it on the comfort of your own sofa while you’re on that video chat.
Alicia Roopnaraine is a Psychologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Psychiatric Department. You can send questions or comments to her at aliciaroopnaraine@gmail.com
