Dear Editor,
Once again, I have cause to write, highlighting the lack of education and comprehension of Guyanese.
In this instance, the commercial banks in Guyana took it upon themselves to implement their own COVID-19 guidelines, which is admirable. However, those guidelines are in stark contrast with those of the Public Health Ordinance gazetted on the 14th day of March 2022.
In Section 4 (c), it clearly states that “…all employees, customers and visitors are encouraged to wear face masks.” Note, the language is very careful, and it never mandates, nor does it give the banks the authority to mandate, wearing masks. In fact, Section 6 of the said Order clearly states that wearing a mask is NOT mandatory.
There has been a lot of conflicting information circulating, claiming that businesses have the right to make their own rules. However, this is not reflected in the gazetted Order. Therefore, where is this misinformation stemming from?
I therefore call upon the Minister of Health and the Government of Guyana to set the record straight. Do the banks and other businesses have the authority to mandate mask-wearing, or is it not mandatory, as is gazetted?
Sincerely,
Rawle Nichols
