GIT, CIOG concerned about gravity shown by some Guyanese to COVID-19

As Guyana intensifies its fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), the Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) and the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) have said they are deeply concerned with the approach of some Guyanese.
In a statement on Thursday, the Islamic bodies expressed “serious concerns” over the fact that some persons have been ignoring the public advisories and warnings, and have been going about their daily activities as per normal and operating in a business-as-usual manner.
“We, the Guyana Islamic Trust (GIT) and the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG), are deeply concerned that the recommended precautions being shared by medical experts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are so far not being treated with the gravity and seriousness they deserve. Many people continue to go about their social life as per normal, without any restrictions, and this is not healthy for our families and the society at large,” the missive posited.
PAHO/WHO Representative Dr William Adu-Krow last week stated that, based on statistics coming out of China, if that country had started practising social distancing three weeks before it had actually started, transmission of the virus could have been reduced by 93 per cent. As such, he made a special call for Guyanese to immediately start practising social distancing.
However, the GIT and CIOG are echoing similar sentiments while noting that our health care system can be overwhelmed if the virus is declared an epidemic here.
“The counties which have been most affected by this pandemic have been those which were slow or reluctant to take these preventive measures. Even if the majority can cope with the symptoms of the virus, continued and unrestricted social interaction will ultimately affect relatives/friends etc., who are more vulnerable and require special care, and the fear is very real that our health care system will become overwhelmed and unable to deal with the demands of a rapidly spreading epidemic.”
To this end, both organizations called on the citizens to refrain from certain activities in order to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
“Social distancing requires that we limit our interactions with those outside our household as much as possible, and maintain a relatively safe distance during such interactions; avoiding crowded areas and physical contact; along with (practising) regular washing of the hands and face etc.”
The missive further stated that “We therefore call upon members of the public to intensify efforts and take all measures necessary to practise social distancing in an effective way. Social events should be cancelled or curtailed to the bare minimum, so that crowding can be avoided, since the virus can be spread without symptoms manifesting themselves until it’s too late.”