Chief Executive Officer of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Joseph Harmon on Saturday clarified that there will be no complete lockdown, as he urged Guyanese to halt their panic-buying spree.
Chair of COVID-19 Task Force, Moses Nagamootoo
Since mid-March, curfew and partial lockdown measures were announced to curtail the spread of COVID-19 among the population.
With new cases detected almost every day, followed by 12 deaths, there were talks of a national shutdown. But Harmon explained that the Task Force is only considering an extension of the current measures, which will expire on June 3.
“There is a rumour out there that there is going to be a complete lockdown in Guyana from next week…I want to make this very clear that the National Coronavirus Task Force has not considered a national lockdown. What we have before us is a consideration for the extension of the current measures beyond 3rd June.”
According to him, the ‘rumours’ are causing Guyanese to flock the marketplaces for goods and other products, disregarding social distancing guidelines.
“This rumour is forcing people to do panic-buying and is creating unnecessary crowd in our marketplaces and in place where people have to shop. I, therefore, call on all Guyanese to observe the guidelines of social distancing, washing of hands, wearing of masks in the public and particularly to what is gazetted in the orders as essential services. I trust that we pay attention to these and once we do that, I am confident that we will see this through,” the CEO highlighted.
NCTF CEO, Joseph Harmon
Currently, an 18:00h to 06:00h curfew is in place among other emergency measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus in Guyana.
On Friday, Country Representative of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Dr William Adu-Krow advised that the curfew and partial lockdown should be continued at least for another two weeks, before reconsidering any opening.
“We have measures, if enforced, could take us a long way. If not enforced, then we are likely to have problems. If I had my own way, I’d probably extend the measures for about two weeks and then enforce them; and then begin a phased approach. That would be my recommendation. It is up to Government to decide.”
The NCTF was set up by caretaker President David Granger back in March to coordinate Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is currently headed by Moses Nagamootoo as its Chairman and Joseph Harmon as its Chief Executive Officer.
Harmon was appointed to the post only last month, after being removed as Director General at the Ministry of the Presidency. He was handed most of the duties that previously fell under Nagamootoo’s portfolio.
Of recent, allegations have been mounting that the caretaker APNU/AFC coalition, through the Task Force, is using COVID-19 as a political tool to hang on to power, especially when it comes to issues regarding the ongoing National Recount of the votes cast on March 2.
