The APNU+AFC Coalition has accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government of withholding information on the true magnitude of Guyana’s COVID-19 situation.
From March 11 to August 2 – a period of six months — the previous Administration recorded a total of 21 COVID-19 related deaths. However, from August 4 to October 19, 2020 – less than three months — the country has recorded 92 additional COVID-19 deaths.
At a press conference on Monday, Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon said that the Ministry of Health is tip-toeing around this reality while its management of the Health sector is causing Guyana’s COVID-19 situation to sharply worsen.
However, addressing Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony directly, Harmon said that withholding information does not prevent the truth of the glaring statistics from coming to the fore.
“The Ministry of Health has scaled back on public education and information, they have been reporting less information to the public with regard to confirmed cases and deaths and they have curtailed and, to some extent, muzzled public health officials from speaking with the media. But muzzling people, failing to provide information to the public, does not change the fact that this pandemic is spiraling out of control, Mr. Minister. It does not change that fact and we are not living in the dark ages when things can be done and be hidden from the people in the is country… you cannot hide the figures and make it look as if you’re doing well,” Harmon stated.
The COVID-19 related deaths in Guyana to date are as follows: March – 3; April – 6; May – 3; June – 0; July – 8; August – 19; September – 43 and up to October 19, 2020 – 31. This brings the total to 113 deaths as of October 19, 2020.
The APNU+AFC blames this on the “incompetence of the Minister of Health and his battery of advisors”. The Opposition Leader said that while Minister Anthony has former Ministers, advisors, and Members of Parliament (MPs) on his health team, there still seems to be no clear plan for controlling the spread of the pandemic.
He said that this spike is ongoing even as Guyana has reopened its airports to commercial flights. The Opposition criticized the current Administration’s arrangements for testing and quarantining persons who traverse the airports as being inadequate.
On the contrary, speaking with the Village Voice on October 12, 2020, the day the airports reopened, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Director-General. Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field had stated that he is confident that Guyana is ready to enter into Phase Two of the reopening of its airports. He said that all necessary COVID-19 safety measures have been put in place.
Holding differing views, Harmon told the media on Monday that the Opposition, while in Office, had invited the then Opposition to participate on the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) but it declined. Since the new Administration took office, he said that the APNU+AFC Opposition has expressed its interest in collaborating on managing Guyana’s COVID-19 situation but these expressions of interest have gone on deaf ears.
“We’ve said we’re prepared to work…but you can’t force yourself on to people who don’t want to have you working with them. That is the reality,” he said.
