With government now mandating that persons either show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative PCR test result in order to enter some public spaces, including malls, supermarkets and banks, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has said that enforcement of the new measure would depend entirely on the owners while the National COVID-19 Task Force would be making random checks.
The new measure, which has come amidst rising COVID infections and deaths, specifies that only vaccinated persons can access public buildings and privately-owned buildings accessed by the public on demand. Those who are unvaccinated would have to make an appointment and provide a recent negative PCR test from an approved private medical facility, which many say is not financially feasible.
“I think a lot of businesses have agreed this is important if we are going to move forward and see the country really opening. We have in the past received calls from businesses asking that we move in this direction. That is one of the reasons why we implemented this,” Anthony told Sunday Stabroek on Friday.
He stated that he believes that many businesses have responded positively to the new measure as they haven’t provided any negative feedback. According to him, this means that businesses understand the importance of vaccination and how important it is. “So far we are getting a lot of support and that is good,” he said.
Regarding enforcement, he said, while the COVID-19 Task Force will make random checks, and consumers or staff can report if a certain entity is not enforcing the measure, the government trusts that businesses will implement and enforce the measure.
However, since the gazetting of the measure one week ago, a majority of the private businesses around Georgetown and Region Four are yet to begin enforcement, although some have signaled their intentions to do so soon.
Banks operating here have also begun to enforce the measure although it does not appear to be required to access their ATMs.
‘We need customers’
Sunday Stabroek visited several supermarkets and fast food places yesterday but was only requested to present a vaccination card to enter at the Giftland Mall and the Massy supermarket.
Some business places have indicated that they intend to enforce the measure in the future while others have put up notices stating that vaccination card and ID are required for entry but they are not asking persons to produce them.
A business owner, who did not want to be named, told Sunday Stabroek yesterday that while they have put out a notice requiring that persons present a vaccination card before entering the premises, she is not going to enforce it. “At the end of the day, vaccinated or not, we are a business and we need customers to be successful. Not everybody is going to do it because as a business doing that is not business,” she said, before revealing that she is not in agreement with the measure but is mandated to comply as it is the law.
“I don’t think it is fair to anybody, not businesspersons, not our customers, but it is the decision that was made at the top so what can we do?” she asked.
Meanwhile, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Timothy Tucker last Monday said that the city chamber had not received complaints from businesses so far, which he stated may be as a result of the new order being released on September 4th. Tucker said he only learnt of the new mandate when it was put out. Tucker remarked that the business community for a year and a half has implemented numerous regulations and also dealt with being in lockdown last year then went on to operate at 40% occupancy, now 60%. Additionally, businesses, he said, have followed the necessary guidelines as it relates to sanitising, social distancing and now ensuring that their workers are vaccinated. “We’ve done our part, we’ve protected our staff and if we’ve gone through all of this, I think it’s only right for the members of the public to protect the staff that are there trying to protect them. Businesses have implemented numerous amounts of stringent policies to make sure that the customers are safe when they come in. Now that that has been done, we believe that it’s time for the general public to do their part,” he reiterated.
The main opposition APNU+AFC and The Citizenship Initiative have both have both argued that vaccination alone would not contain the spread of COVID-19, including its variants, and called on the government to pursue a holistic approach to protect citizens.
