Dear Editor,
Please permit me space to present my opinions and solutions to the current spike of COVID-19 cases.
The average amount of cases per day has climbed and climbed so high that we are now the definition of a “3rd Peak”. Our neighbour, Brazil, has the new variant and their average death rate per day is at its highest. Do we have the new variant in Guyana?
Hon Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has stated in the Guyana Times that the younger population is being affected and that more COVID-19 hospitalizations are occurring. Honourable Minister, a lot of other persons, too numerous to mention and I, have been of the intellectual understanding that a lockdown will be the most effective measure to once again #flattenthecurve. Yes, sir, we are #flatteningthecurveagain and hopefully this curve doesn’t claim more innocent #guyaneselives. I am begging for a lockdown of the above mentioned regions Honourable Minister.
I understand the private sector will “claim” that they cannot survive and it will kill small businesses. I will take the liberty to direct this question to you Honourable Minister and private sector associates, “Are our human resources not valuable, worth it?” Think about your priorities and your chains of supply. (To the entire #world, #humanrights/#workingpeople are not naive and are neither your toys.)
I’ll be a bit lenient and I am willing to negotiate that we have the #Curfew from 6 PM to 6 AM and only tier one essentials like hospitals and pharmacies be allowed to open beyond the curfew. (Yes, those are the only two tier one essentials I deem fit.) People will have to pick up other tier two and three essentials in the daytime, those can be like food, beverages, supermarkets, etc. The rotational shift system should be reintroduced at the workplace across the public and private sector. The National Insurance Scheme has to back up the social security sector to assist the working people because I know the private sector will complain to pay a man for a 40h/ week when he only worked a 20h/week; this is where NIS pays for the other 20 hrs depending on his contributions. Within the areas/districts that got hit the hardest, the Civil Defence Commission will activate the hamper drives, God willing, on a weekly basis.
Young people, myself included, don’t come asking if COVID-19 only spreads during 6 PM-6 AM because you want to go out to lime on the seawall without a mask, chilling and eating with the crew. The new variation of the virus that our neighbour has is possibly in Guyana already and younger folks are being affected more. I have been out beyond the curfew before and it occurred to me that we have to be our brothers’ keeper and observe the Protocols and Guidelines set in place by the Ministry of Health – Guyana. We have to find discipline within ourselves and help this fight because #WeAreInItTogether.
Mask up. Sanitize. Practice your best respiratory and hand hygiene and #keepmovingforwardorg. We will survive the other variant of COVID-19 because we will be smart and responsible.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Josh Kanhai
