Although the COVID-19 emergency measure restricting access to government services to unvaccinated persons came into effect since August 1st, the implementation has been uneven, with some public institutions swiftly moving towards enforcement, some now doing so and others still mulling whether they should proceed.
With the latest emergency measures, only vaccinated persons are allowed to visit government ministries and agencies. However, there is a provision for unvaccinated persons to make an appointment in order to access the needed services. Nonetheless, in practice, some of these agencies have instituted the added measure of requiring that those persons also produce a negative PCR test result taken within a 72-hour period ahead of their visit. Staff at these agencies have also been directed to get vaccinated or provide proof of their COVID status via a PCR test at their own expense.
Several Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) have also started implementing the new measures although they recognise there could be challenges.
Regional Executive Officer of Region Eight Peter Ramotar said that the region has not issued any notices informing persons of the new requirement but has already begun informing staff that they would soon need to provide proof of vaccination in order to be allowed into the compound. This began on Monday. He said some staff members have since gotten vaccinated but the biggest issue is whether those who choose to not get vaccinated will have to get paid. “We don’t know how that will work,” he said.
Ramotar said the regional administration will continue to implore residents to get vaccinated.
‘Recipe for disaster’
On the other hand, Chairman of Region Seven Kenneth Williams said that staff were told that they had to get vaccinated by Thursday but he believes that this is a recipe for disaster because not all the information that has been passed down is clear.
He told Stabroek News that many persons in the region are yet to be vaccinated so if persons decided that they would not show up to work, then that would be a challenge that all the departments will have to face, not just at the RDC. “How would it affect the region if these measures are implemented? I am pro-vaccine but I have a lot of concerns on how this will work out,” he said, while noting that persons across the region have already started insisting that they will not get vaccinated.
In Region Nine, the RDC has already adopted the new measures and has already written to various departments advising them to follow suit. Several staff members of different departments confirmed that if they choose not to be vaccinated, they would have to provide a negative PCR test to the relevant heads of departments on a regular basis.
However, it was pointed out that despite claiming that vaccination is not mandatory, the requirement of a PCR test from an authorized private lab is a naked bid to force them to get vaccinated as there are no private labs doing COVID-19 PCR testing in the region.
Officials in the hinterland regions confirmed that there are no laboratories in the regions that conduct COVID-19 PCR testing so it is impossible for persons there to get tested even if they have the finances to afford those services.
The places that are authorised to conduct COVID-19 testing are Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital, Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc, Dr Leslie Persaud’s Clinic, Woodlands Hospital, Sheriff Medical Center, Quest Medical Center, Anamayah Memorial Hospital, Coastal Diagnostic Laboratory, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Biotec Medical Laboratory and Midway Specialty Care. They are located in Region Four and Region Six.
Nevertheless, while some persons have indicated their intention to get vaccinated, they believe the coercive nature of the latest measures are a violation of their rights. One person, who did not want to be named, stated that in the hinterland, not much information is available on the vaccine and this is why they are reluctant to get vaccinated.
“Many of us are waiting for more information on the vaccine. I think we were all going to take it eventually but now we are feeling like we are being forced to do so and the government has not been giving us the necessary information to make us comfortable,” she said.
On Monday, staff who could not
provide a COVID-19 vaccine card to their respective head of departments were locked out of their offices in Region Nine and sent home.
Some government ministries implemented the new measure last week but several agencies, including the Guyana Revenue Authority, and the Environmental Protection Agency, have only begun implementing them from the start of this week. Some hospitals, including the Georgetown Public Hospital, have also begun implementing these measures.
The new measure will come into effect today at the Central Immigration and Passport Office, where a notice to this effect was only posted yesterday. The Guyana Post Office Corporation is not yet requiring persons to present a vaccination card in order to gain access without an appointment as well as other post offices across the region. However, this newspaper was told that it is under consideration.
