Dear Editor,
I quote from a report in the May 23rd edition of your publication.
“President Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday said government is not considering a lockdown to address the continued rise in cases as he contended that there is no empirical evidence that they work.”
False. There is a huge body of empirical evidence indicating that properly implemented, managed, monitored and enforced lockdowns (with penalties for those who violate the lockdown) do work. If you want a Caribbean example, look no further than Barbados.
Given the global problems with vaccine supply, Guyanese vaccine ignorance and hesitancy, and the likely presence of increasingly lethal variants, many more Guyanese will get seriously ill, and several of those who do so will die, before we achieve herd immunity via vaccination.
A relatively short, well-managed and rigorously enforced lockdown will at least help to slow new infections. This may give the medical professionals, the policy makers, implementers and monitors the time and breathing space to come up with new, more effective protocols and practices.
With more engaging public education, and well-managed, closely monitored implementation of updated protocols and practices, we may yet be able to move past the current widespread callous indifference to the pandemic and live more responsibly with COVID-19 in our public and private spaces.
Sincerely,
Nick Harewood