GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana says it is maintaining its strict coronavirus (COVID-19) measures for travelers crossing its land borders and that persons from neighboring Brazil and Suriname must be fully vaccinated and provide a negative PCR test taken within a three-day period.
“We have very regulated traffic that comes over and there are requirements for you to travel to Guyana, from these land borders…it includes; that you must produce a negative PCR within three days and secondly, that you have to get vaccinated, so you have to show proof of vaccination,” Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has said.
He said that the border with Brazil remains closed to travelers, with a weekly opening for limited exchange of goods and services.
“With our border in Brazil, that border has been closed for over a year now and again, on Thursdays we allow trucks from Brazil to come across and persons who want to buy things in Guyana can buy those things and take it back to Brazil.
“So, there’s a very limited exchange of goods and services and that has been going on for the last year and that would continue until we can see a significant reduction in cases,” he said.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Mark Phillips denied that the border between the two countries had re-opened.
“I have been informed of misinformation circulating on social media suggesting the Lethem/Bonfim border crossing was reopened. These reports are patently false. Despite Ministers of the Government of Guyana holding talks with the Governor of the State of Roraima on September 17, 2021, no agreement has been reached on the reopening of the border crossing.
“Therefore, the information in circulation is inaccurate and may be intended to create mischief,” Phillips said, seeking to re-assure residents “who depend on the border crossing being opened for their livelihoods both parties on either side of the border remain fully engaged in bringing a resolution to the issue as soon as it is safe and reasonable to do so”.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony has also addressed a recent statement from the United States’ Centre for Diseases Control (CDC), advising its citizens against travelling to Guyana because of the COVID-19 situation in the Caribbean country.
“The CDC is not only Guyana, CDC periodically would do these reviews, and it’s based on how many cases you would have had over the last week, and it’s no secret we’ve had increase in cases.
“So, we have to continue to monitor, we have to continue to test and once we find people who are positive to get them to isolate and those who have moderate or severe COVID and warrant hospitalization, that we’re able to hospitalize them, treat them properly,” Dr. Anthony said, noting that the CDC will continue to carry out its rating, noting that many countries have moved up to “level four” as positive cases surge.
