As of last week, at least 75 percent of the members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
This was confirmed by Com-missioner of Police (ag) Nigel Hoppie during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
According to Hoppie, 75% of the force had received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine up to last week. He said about 31% of the force was fully vaccinated as of the same period. Hoppie noted that the figure would have likely risen since then.
Officer-in-charge of the GPF Welfare Department, Deputy Superintendent Jewel Sullivan, during her appearance on the force’s weekly ‘Police & You’ radio programme on Tuesday said that the GPF has employed a “proactive” approach to ensure that every rank is vaccinated.
“We have come a far way and we are still pushing for every rank to be vaccinated,” Sullivan said, while adding, “of course this is a pandemic we are talking about and the more ranks who get vaccinated it’s better for all of us”.
During an interview with Stabroek News in June, Sullivan had disclosed that at that time, 303 members of the force, of various ranks had tested positive for COVID-19. No death has been reported to date.
Sullivan explained on Tuesday that health officials are usually present at the Police Officer’s Mess Annex, at Eve Leary to administer the COVID-19 vaccines.
Apart from sensitization exercises, Sullivan said that there are doctors who are on call to provide members of the force with advice on the different types of vaccines available if the need arises.
“We are aware that some persons might have medical issues. Health issues that they are afraid to take the vaccine. So there are doctors to alleviate, to try to show them a way to say this wouldn’t affect you in a way or this is the better one or that is the better one,” Sullivan said.
