President Ali calls for resilient thinking as COVID persists

President Dr Irfaan Ali has called for Guyanese to develop a mindset that focuses on resilience, as facts and solutions to the novel coronavirus still unfold every day.

On Friday, the Head of State acknowledged that living in the pandemic is still a learning curve for many. In fact, he described this period as one of the most difficult for Guyana. In this light, calls were made for persons to think along the line of resiliency to navigate through the waves of the coronavirus.
“As we’re still learning to live with COVID-19 and we’re still learning about the long-term consequences, let us reassure ourselves with the fact that we’re still here. We’re resilient as a community in one of the most difficult periods in our lifetime,” the President noted.
He also reiterated the need for cooperation and better reasoning, so as to build a society that is developing and conducive to growth.
“We are one family of humanity. If we work towards embracing this very fact, and we’re given the capacity to think, reason, and analyse, we must use this capacity that is given to humans to be better and do better.”
Last Monday, Government officially announced that numerous changes were made to the COVID-19 regulations, paving the way for several of the restrictions to be lifted.
In the new gazette order – Public Health (Coronavirus) (No 3) Regulations 2022 – it is stated that wearing a face mask is no longer mandatory but encouraged when in public; proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter public buildings and the COVID-19 restrictions on social activities and gatherings were removed.
The new gazette order also states that employers are still required to ensure that COVID-19 guidelines are in place to reduce transmission of the virus among workers in offices, adding that offices and places of business must ensure that handwashing stations and sanitising equipment are at the entrances. This requirement is also encouraged for places of worship.
With respect to persons testing positive for the virus, the order states that they are required to isolate and follow the quarantine requirements. The order states: “Any person who has tested positive for coronavirus or identified for quarantine shall (a) comply with all applicable directions given and requirements imposed by the Health Emergency Operations Centre, including home isolation or quarantine or placement in an isolation or quarantine facility; (b) provide information to the Health Emergency Operations Centre about any individual with whom the person may have had contact with, at least fourteen days before testing positive for coronavirus; and (c) not knowingly expose themselves, without proper and necessary precautions against spreading the coronavirus, in any public place or to any person.”
Guyana first implemented the host of COVID-19 measures shortly after the first case was detected in the country on March 11, 2020. Over the past two years, these restrictions have been amended – strengthened as well as partially removed – in order to fit the situation of the pandemic in Guyana.