‘Do more to keep us safe’

…Harmon tells govt enforce Covid-19 measures
—death toll reaches 201

The APNUAFC coalition on Friday evening held a candlelight vigil to pay homage to the over 200 Guyanese who have died from Novel Coronavirus here.
Held at the Promenade Gardens, the event attended by several executive members of the coalition reflected on the challenge to fight the pandemic and also strongly urged the government to do more to stem the tide of the deaths.

“We gather here tonight as a nation in mourning, to pay tribute to the lives we have lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is now 200 Guyanese that are dead and for many months we have grieved by ourselves but tonight, we grieve and begin healing together,” Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon said in a statement.

Quoting poet John Donne, Harmon said “No man is an island entire of itself; any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” “We pray for those that died and for the families they’ve left behind. We also pray for the countless relatives who had to surrender their loved-ones without the familiar funeral ritual due to the imposed COVID-19 guidelines which only intensified their sadness and sorrow. Further, as we acknowledge the deaths, we remember each person and the life they lived. We have been fighting this pandemic since March 2020 and appear to have grown numb and desensitized to the statistics of the death toll. Hence, I encourage you to see that every number represents a life and the families that are affected,” Harmon stated.

He said Covid-19 has left in its wake a sobering awareness that we are all united in the sadness “that we recognise tonight. It is my abiding hope that we as Guyanese emerge from this ordeal with a renewed wisdom to appreciate simple moments, to imagine new opportunities and to open our hearts to each other. “
According to him the candle light vigil is a gesture that represents “our commitment to every Guyanese citizen. The pain we feel unites us to one another as a single people with compassionate hearts. May our prayers strengthen the consciousness of our shared humanity and advance national unity at a time when harmony is a vaccine that seeks to comfort and empower us as one people, one nation facing the COVID-19 pandemic threat that is no respecter of age, race, culture or gender.”

“We also do this as an acknowledgement and reminder that more needs to be done by the administration to enforce the measures which are meant to keep us safe and prevent more loss of life. May this be a resounding gesture of gratitude for the health care worker who tried their best to comfort and restore health and wellness. To heal we must remember, not just as individuals but collectively as a nation. And as William Bruce Cameron said “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts”. We are here because every life is important, every life matter, every Guyanese counts.”

Meanwhile, on Saturday the Ministry of Health announced the 201st Covid death. The latest fatality is a 57-year-old male from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) who died while receiving care at a medical facility. In expressing sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased, the ministry pledged to make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time to render any assistance needed. The Ministry also appealed to the general public to respect the confidentiality of the deceased and his family and to allow them to mourn their tragic loss in peace.

In addition to the 201 deaths Guyana as of Saturday had recorded 8772 cases.