Lawyers now granted essential worker status

– after intercession from Bar Association

Local lawyers have now been granted essential worker status, which will allow them to be exempted from the curfew hours implemented to fight coronavirus, after the intercession by the Bar Association.

The Bar Association had written the National Coronavirus Task Force (NCTF), headed by caretaker Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, requesting that lawyers be exempted from the 6 pm to 6 am curfew. The curfew had prohibited all but essential workers from being outdoors.

However, it has been cited by Bar Association President Teni Housty in sections of the media that lawyers have to travel at all hours of the night to reach clients and that moreover, persons in Police custody have a constitutional right to an attorney.
Nagamootoo revealed in his weekly column that the Task Force has since acceded to the Bar Association’s request and that lawyers will now be considered essential workers, since they “invariably venture out late at night to roadblocks, lock-ups and even quarantine centres in dedicated furtherance of the rule of law.”
He also explained that the Task Force has been monitoring efforts of frontline medical workers in combating the coronavirus, which up to press time stood at 65 infections and seven deaths locally.
“The Task Force has been daily dealing simultaneously with a wide range of issues. It monitors the efforts at the critical medical technical front; follows security enforcement of traffic, curfew and other containment measures; coordinates mobilisation for and distribution of social care assistance; consolidates recommendations for fiscal or social impact measures, processes requests for non-commercial repatriation flights, etc…”
“We have kept our hands on the pulse of what’s happening in the society to ensure that there is a balance between social restrictions and the need to keep the economy open. This requires a constant review of measures to give space for continuation of production and distribution of supplies, and to facilitate the uninterrupted delivery of a wider range of essential services,” he also stated.
The curfew is part of emergency measures that were put into effect by the caretaker Administration on April 3, pursuant to the direction of the President under the Public Ordinance Act, in an effort to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Government had gazetted an amended order on April 11, specifying who is to be considered an essential worker.
All persons employed within the public service, a statutory body or a State-owned enterprise shall also work remotely from home, except as may otherwise be directed by the Public Health Minister, acting on the advice of the responsible Ministers and Heads of Agencies.
With regards to essential services, these will carry on with 24-hour operations.
These include hospitals, healthcare and medical services, including pharmacies, drug stores and private veterinary services; nursing homes, orphanages, shelters and other related care centres; immigration; Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA); electricity services; water supply services; the Disciplined Forces; Guyana Prison Services; solid waste management, sewerage and janitorial services.
In addition, essential services include air traffic control (ATC); the Demerara Harbour Bridge and Berbice River Bridge; hotels and accommodation; and factories, manufacturers or distributors of food supplies and essential goods, including medical supplies where the Minister of Public Health has determined that the continuation of these operations do not pose a risk to public health.
Telecommunications and media are also included in the essential services category. Other services deemed essential include those involved in mineral and petroleum exploration and development, including those involved in the supply chain. Security, certain port and transportation services have also been included as essential.
Some of the measures outlined in the Government directive include directives to stay at home, stating that “every person shall remain in the confines of his or her home and its yard space”, except or as otherwise provided.
Under the emergency measures directive, “any person who fails to comply with any of the new measures commits an offence”, and shall be liable on summary conviction to the penalties provided for under the Public Health Ordinance.