GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana Friday announced the immediate lifting of the nationwide curfew that had been put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic two years ago.
Guyana DPI photo.The National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat in a brief statement said that in addition to lifting the curfew “all swimming pools are permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity” and that all “swimmers must be fully vaccinated.
“Notwithstanding the relaxation of these measures the National COVID-19 Task Force Secretariat urges all Guyanese to demonstrate responsible behavior”.
On Thursday night, President Irfaan Ali had indicated that the government was considering the removal of the COVID-19 curfew.
He said he had held talks with Prime Minister Mark Philips and had asked him to review with the stakeholder groups, “our present curfew, with an aim at removing the curfew as early as tomorrow”.
Ali, speaking at the launch of the Explore Guyana Magazine’s 23rd edition, said that many studies have shown that lockdowns and curfews do little to curb the spread of COVID-19 virus that has killed 1,188 and infected 62,061 since March 2020.
But he had acknowledged that for the curfew to be removed, every citizen must adhere to the strict safety protocols to protect against the disease, that is, vaccination and the wearing of masks.
“We need to ensure that in this stage of dealing with the pandemic, that all agencies have sanitation devices, ensuring that we continue to educate people on the vaccination program and to ensure that the guidelines and protocols are observed,” President Ali said.
