…to COVID-19
COVID-19 might be a new disease, but it definitely looks like it’ll be the Black Plague of the 21st century. Folks may think – because of our Eurocentric bias – that Plague only hit Europe, but, in reality, it killed between 75-200 million persons in both Europe AND Asia – from where it originated, like coronavirus.
But today we live in a globalised world – one with instantaneous communication, where a fella sneezes in Siberia and you can know about it in Timbuktu at the same instant, so COVID-19 isn’t exactly an unknown phenomenon. In the four months since it erupted in Wuhan China, scientists were able to know it was from the same family as the one that caused SARS and MERS a few years back. They also broke down its RNA structure so that they – and scientists across the world – could move to the next step and create a vaccine. That process, unfortunately, will take at least a year – because of trials and all that.
In the meantime, the WHO has taken the lead in advising the world of what we can do in the meantime – both in terms of Public Health Measures (PHM) like isolation, washing hands, etc…and medical treatments that can help alleviate some of the clinical symptoms of the disease, like pneumonia and other damage to the lungs. But here in Guyana, you could be forgiven for thinking we’re still living in Medieval times facing the Black Plague.
After all, why else would the MoPH be given the power to “remove, disinfect and destroy the personal effects, goods, buildings and any other article, material or things exposed or thing exposed to infection from the disease”?? What next? Burning people at the stake?? C’mon folks, we’re dealing with a virus which, like all viruses, can only survive outside a host AT MOST for a couple of days. So why would the Ministry of Public Health want to burn “goods and buildings”??
Now, you may say they’re erring on the side of caution; but this isn’t just using a cannon to destroy a virus – the cannon isn’t even AIMED at the virus!! So why the order?? Just laziness and no one took it upon themselves to look up what the rest of the world is doing to contain the spread of the disease, until we get that vaccine?
It’s a sign of the times – the time of the PNC – that folks are worried the PNC might just use the Ordinance to get back at those opposing their barefaced rigging.
After all, the MoPH – headed by Volda Lawrence – is empowered to call directly upon the Police to enforce her orders.
She doesn’t even need Ramjattan!!
…to the rigging
Well, it’s not only the Opposition parties that are calling for a recount – one of the members of APNU, the JFAP, has joined their ranks. Now we know the PNC only used the small parties – the WPA and JFAP and some one-man outfits like NDF and NFA – as a fig leaf to hide their discredited name. But Granger insisted it was a real “coalition” – especially after the AFC came aboard.
So, Granger’s being hoisted by its own petard now that one of its “partners” has broken with the party line. What will they do now?? Expel the JFAP?? But what about the others?? The WPA have been dancing between the raindrops – but now being all wet, they couldn’t have been all that successful!! And the AFC?? They seemed to have dropped off a cliff. Until now.
Ramjattan just chastised Major General Joe Singh for his open letter to Granger to do the right thing and have the recount. Insisting he’s “not in the clouds” he huffed, “That’s tantamount to accepting there’s rigging!
No, he’s in la la land!!
…to threats from APNU/AFC loyalists
The western embassies have cordoned off their buildings with local Police after all the threats coming their way from Government supporters.
But can they trust the Police to “hold the line”??
