House Speaker Manzoor Nadir yesterday denied a move by Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon for the National Assembly to discuss the recently implemented COVID-19 measures, which he said have placed undue restrictions on unvaccinated persons.
While Harmon sought to have the National Assem-bly adjourned for the purpose of discussing the issue as a “definite matter of urgent public importance,” Nadir found that although it was important it did not qualify as urgent under the Standing Orders.
“Those measures Mr Speaker, severely hamper the ability of the people of Guyana to access public and government services,” Harmon said in reference to the requirement instituted from this month that unvaccinated persons make an appointment at ministries or government agencies in order to access services.
He pointed out that ministries and agencies have implemented other measures that are outside of the provisions set out in the gazetted order.
He gave an example of a notice from the Ministry of Health, which noted that persons and staff who did not wish to be vaccinated will be asked to present negative PCR tests, at their own costs. He told the House, “So Mr Speaker, while the order itself is very tight, what has happened is that these ministries and other agencies have actually enlarged upon it, they have taken upon themselves, the power to enlarge on it and it is causing a serious problem to Guyanese people.”
Harmon emphasised that the matter was urgent as citizens are being locked out of their places of employment. This he, said, was based on a report from Lethem, where he claimed that a surgeon who was on his way to perform a surgery was locked out of the hospital.
Additionally, he stated that many persons have expressed frustration at the measures and this deems it a matter of public importance on the grounds that the Guyanese public is affected. “These measures are now going to have a significant impact on a large section of our population who are not yet vaccinated and I say that this is a matter of urgent public interest,” he added.
Nadir, in response, stated that he has concluded that the issue is of importance, as it seeks to address the access of citizens to services of the government. However, Nadir stated that the determining factor was urgency, and under the current Standing Orders he was not able to allow the request.
“The issue here is urgency and what we have is an ongoing issue which under all of the rules that apply to urgency under the Standing Orders, it doesn’t apply, and so I would not be able to allow your request,” Nadir told the House.
In announcing his intent to seek to have the issue discussed, Harmon on Sunday stated that “the nation needs a clear sense of what is happening, what the plan is and to see political, religious and civic leaders working in tandem.” He added that the APNU+AFC coalition is ready, willing and able to be engaged and believes that churches and other civil society stakeholders should be given a voice in the process as well.
The restrictions have polarised the public as some have argued that they are needed in order to ensure public safety, while some opponents object to the intent to coerce persons to take vaccines that they do not want for a variety of reasons.
