President Irfaan Ali on Monday approved an announced rollback of COVID-19 restrictions on social activities and distancing, while also making the wearing of masks in public spaces optional.
The new guidelines, gazetted yesterday, make no mention of restrictions on social activities and only provide protocols for handwashing and sanitation at businesses, where employees, customers and visitors “are encouraged to wear face masks.” The same provisions also apply to places of worship.
“Wearing a face mask is not mandatory but in order to prevent the spread of Coronavirus, persons are encouraged to wear a face mask when the person is in public,” the new guidelines state.
The decision comes in wake of a steep decline in new COVID-19 infections and deaths over the past month. (The Health Minis-try on Monday announced one more death and three new cases.)
The previous COVID-19 guidelines, which were approved last month, had retained restrictions on social activities, including private parties, events at clubs, and receptions, although they appeared to be selectively enforced.
No proof of vaccination requirements
Quotas previously prescribed to restrict numbers at casinos, betting shops, cinemas are no longer in place and the updated guidelines also make no mention of proof of vaccination requirements for entry to public buildings. The latter was a point of contention between the government and some public servants, including teachers and health workers, who objected to the requirement, calling it a de facto vaccine mandate. In some instances, some public workers had been locked out of their workplaces where they could not show proof of full vaccination or produce a negative PCR test result.
Also absent is the previous restriction on visitation to quarantine or isolation facilities, prison or correctional facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, senior citizens’ homes and other care facilities.
While it was previously required that public transport operators be fully vaccinated, it is no longer a requirement under the new guidelines.
Director of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) Colonel Nazrul Hussain on Sunday told Stabroek News that restrictions on all social gatherings would be lifted but vaccination and testing requirements would remain in place to curtail the spread of the virus.
Hussain also said that the inputs of health officials would guide the decision making and that emphasis will continue to be placed on the need for vaccination.
Two years ago, measures were introduced to tackle COVID-19 resulting in restrictions on every-day activities.
Guyana’s two international airports were closed for months along with schools, non-essential businesses, places of worship and other institutions.
Last month, the NCTF announced the lifting of the national curfew.
The announcement came one day after Presi-dent Irfaan Ali signalled that his administration was moving in that direction.
The curfew, first instituted in 2020, was in effect from midnight to 4 am after several adjustments.
Two Sundays ago at a press conference at State House, President Ali hinted at the changes to accelerate a path towards full reopening of the country.
