Hundreds of Guyanese continue to flout the national COVID-19 restrictions on social gatherings despite a rise in the number of local cases being recorded.
Scores of Guyanese gathered at the Kitty seawall yesterday, before and after the 6pm nationwide curfew kicked in. Stabroek News understands that before 6pm, the gathering was larger as some persons visited with their families.
No one was observed to be wearing masks or practicing any other precautionary measures against COVID-19.
Despite the large gathering, lawmen were absent even after the curfew had taken effect. Stabroek News last night reached out to Regional Police Commander Phillip Azore but calls to his phone went unanswered.
During a drive along the Seawall road yesterday at approximately 6:45pm, it was observed that most persons had congregated in the vicinity of the 1823 monument at the Kitty seawall.
Loud music blasting from parked vehicles filled the air as persons danced, consumed alcoholic beverages and sat along the seawall in close proximity to each other. The gathering mirrored that of a regular Sunday evening pre-COVID-19.
Self-employed persons took the opportunity to cash in by selling food and beverages.
Region Four was once regarded as the epicentre for the pandemic but the rising cases recorded in Region One has made that region the new epicentre.
As of June 26, Guyana has recorded 230 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 109 being active cases and those persons are in institutional isolation.
Under the revised COVID-19 Emergency Measures order, the National COVID-19 Task Force outlined that there is a restriction on social activities.
The order, however, states that persons are allowed to exercise for 90 minutes at parks, beaches seawalls, rivers and creeks and on public roads from Monday to Friday.
It was also stated that any person who fails to comply with any of the measures is guilty of committing an offence under section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance and is liable on summary conviction to the penalty provided under that section.
