“We can’t afford to be losing our people to COVID-19” – PM

…urges Coomacka residents to get vaccinated

Prime Minister Mark Phillips has urged residents of Coomacka in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to take advantage of being vaccinated against COVID-19. During a recent visit to the community, the Prime Minister took the opportunity to offer advice to residents, as the region is deemed to have the lowest vaccination uptake in the country.

“If you haven’t taken the vaccine, do come forward and take the vaccine…because the vaccine will protect us from getting the severe form of this COVID-19. If you get COVID-19 and you’re vaccinated it would just be a mild form of COVID-19. Just remember…if you’re vaccinated, that’s a form of protection from you having to be hospitalised with COVID-19. We have a small population, we can’t afford to be losing our people from COVID-19 at a time when the Government is spending millions of United States dollars to buy the vaccine and to give it free to the people of Guyana,” the Prime Minister told residents.
He said Guyana is presently one of the few small countries in the world where the Government has decided to purchase vaccines to be given free of cost to its population, as he explained that everyone else apart from Guyanese living in Guyana are also entitled to have access to the vaccine.
“The Venezuelans are taking the vaccine. We got about forty thousand Venezuelans living in Guyana. They’re coming forward and taking the vaccine. In Lethem, we have the Brazilians who are coming over to Guyana and taking the vaccine. We want the Guyanese to take the vaccine too, wherever you are…Because the more people take the vaccine is the better for us as a population to get past this COVID-19 disease,” the Prime Minister said.
He continued that in order for life to get back to a state of normalcy, people must be vaccinated.
“We’re not forcing you but we’re encouraging you, because that’s the only means that make any sense right now to protect people…wearing a mask, sanitising, social distancing and taking the vaccine,” he urged.
The Prime Minister related that he has already had his second dose of vaccine. He noted that some people may want to relax after taking the vaccine as he noted that it is okay to do so. He said for those who are working they can take the vaccine and take the day off to relax and recover from any possible side effects.