“Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) infection rate continues to rise in Guyana, with the latest figures being 23 positive cases and four deaths. COVID-19 pandemic is creating havoc around the world, with increasing numbers of deaths and infections daily.
Many countries have also reported new cases this past week, and with each passing day, the level of fear and anxiety in societies everywhere is increasing, especially since there is no known vaccine readily available for the disease. In New York alone, the 24-hour death toll was 562 by Friday morning, with the city’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo, saying that this has now brought the total to 2,935 fatalities since the start of the outbreak.
The number of people infected has soared past 200,000, and worldwide, fatalities have topped 10,000. More deaths have also now been recorded in Europe, the new virus epicentre, than in Asia since the outbreak first emerged in Wuhan, China last December.
Guyana has thus far registered four fatalities, and has confirmed 23 cases of coronavirus disease this past week.
Around the world, we see the soaring figures of the lethal infection overwhelming hospitals.
Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently referred to the virus as an “enemy against humanity”, as never before has the world been threatened and affected in this manner. For weeks now, many cities around the world have basically been on lock-down, with the authorities placing tough restrictions on persons to stay indoors and maintain ‘social distancing’ so as to slow or halt the spread of the disease. Many schools, airports, shopping malls etc have been closed in order to prevent mass gatherings.
Guyana finally joined the rest of the world on Friday evening and called a national curfew which, when properly examined, has numerous loopholes. WHO has constantly said testing people with symptoms of the coronavirus lies at the heart of fighting the pandemic, but in Guyana, limited testing is being done. In First World nations, the virus is spreading like wildfire. Therefore, if Guyana does not act swiftly, our healthcare system will fail the most vulnerable in our society. Already, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is predicting that some 20,000 Guyanese may get infected.
The big question on everyone’s mind is: When will this all end, and how soon will persons be able to get on with their daily lives? The reality of the situation is that no one knows for sure. Certainly, life will not return to normalcy anytime soon. Experts have pointed out that even if the infection rate starts to decline in the coming months due to the present measures being taken, it is still far from the end.
The current measures being taken to shut down airports, schools, shopping malls, sports venues and other aspects of national life are not sustainable in the long term. While this is needed at this stage, the social and economic impacts of this damage would be very heavy for countries to deal with.
On the other hand, if these restrictions are lifted, there is a high possibility that the infection rates would go up, and all the gains made would be reversed. The WHO has stated that the only way to suppress and control the virus is for countries to “isolate, test, treat and trace.” If countries fail to do that, “transmission chains can continue at a low level, then resurge once physical distancing measures are lifted.”
COVID-19 will have a huge financial impact on many individual households and their ability to survive this difficult phase. This is in addition to the slowing down of the economy here for quite some time now due to the elections’ climate. Some businesses were forced to close their doors, while others scaled down their operations, resulting in workers being laid off or having reduced work days etc. Certainly, these affected persons would suffer great financial difficulties.
These are indeed tough times for families who are already burdened financially, and it is expected that the Government and private sector companies would step in and do what is expected.
To quote Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres: “Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures. We face a colossal test which demands decisive, coordinated and innovative action from all, for all.”