The new PPP/C government is working to secure $4.5 billion as an emergency response for households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and is also establishing a response unit as part of a revamped effort to tackle the disease that has claimed 22 lives and battered the business sector.
This disclosure was made yesterday by President Irfaan Ali, who said that “everything possible” must be done to protect the people of Guyana from the “dreaded and dreadful” disease.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed too many lives. Everything possible must be done to protect our people from this dreaded and dreadful disease,” Ali said during his inauguration speech at the National Cultural Centre.
Ali said he will “personally and urgently” participate in government programmes to prevent the spread of the disease and safeguard the nation’s health.
Since his appointment one week ago, Ali noted that an assessment was completed and a structure was established to tackle the disease “as effectively as possible”.
According to Ali, the Government is creating a COVID-19 response unit which will comprise of government policymakers represented by Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony and regional and international partners such as CARICOM, the Pan American Health Organisation and the United Nations Development Programme.
“We are dismantling the political intervention and structure and the bureaucracy and we are putting [it] into the hands of policymakers who are capable and competent,” Ali said in reference to the National Task Force which had been installed by the former APNU+AFC government.
The unit, he added, will be guided by a collaborative policy to address medical responses and create a COVID-19 impact socio-economic plan for everyone.
The new policy coordinating committee for COVID-19, chaired by Prime Minister, (ret’d) Brigadier Mark Phillips, comprises Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, United Nations Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka as well as representatives from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO), and former Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
Additionally, Ali noted that his government has already mobilised and received 46,000 rapid testing kits for COVID-19 antibodies, personal protection equipment, approximately 240,000 surgical masks, face shields, gowns and other urgently needed supplies.
He added that Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley sent 15,000 PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test kits with her representative, who arrived in Guyana yesterday for the ceremony. This was part of a donation from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Jack Ma Foundation and the United Arab Emirates as a result of a request that Mottley had made to the WHO for aid for the region.
By next week, Ali said the government is expected to receive another 10,000 PCR kits from PAHO, which has committed to supply an additional 40,000 PCR kits.
Ali further stated that the government has also accessed three PCR testing machines and two more are being sourced. He said efforts are underway to have persons, including those from the hinterland, be trained on how to use the PCR machines and rapid test kits.
“We have commenced work on securing immediately an initial sum of $4.5 billion as (an) emergency response to help at the household level,” he said.
Ali said the government has also already started to examine, from a fiscal perspective, the extent of support it can provide to the Private Sector in order to stimulate the resumption of economic activities, especially putting back to work those who have been dislodged because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Months of lockdown for COVID-19 has resulted in the estimated loss of thousands of jobs and severe pressure on households and businesses throughout the country.
The President also said that a meeting was held with the Governor of the Bank of Guyana Dr Gobind Ganga, who was “directed” to extend regulatory permission so as to allow for bankers to continue extending moratoriums.
“We have also looked at the possibility of adjusting the Reserve Requirement, which will allow the banks to have more disposable resources and tying that adjustment with lower interest rates. We have started to examine from a fiscal perspective what support we can give to the private sector and other groups all with the view of supporting a resumption of the economic activities and putting our people back to work,” Ali explained.
He added that the government has also reached out to several multilateral and bilateral sources with the hope of urgently mobilizing financial resources that are necessary to overcome the effects of this pandemic. “I must say the response has been encouraging,” Ali noted.
Guyana confirmed its first COVID-19 case on March 11.
The woman, Ratna Baboolall, 52, travelled from New York and had underlying health conditions. She arrived in the country on March 5th and admitted herself to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she died.
As of yesterday, the total number of confirmed cases stood at 554, inclusive of the 22 deaths.
