The Opposition has criticised goverment’s widening Covid-19 mandate, deeming new measures which extend to private businesses draconian and a violation of citizens human rights.
In a statement on Sunday, Acting Leader of the Opposition, Rousdale Forde SC they have taken note of the new COVID-19 measures gazetted by the PPP regime which now require that any person who wishes to enter public buildings, privately owned businesses, schools and places of worship must be vaccinated or provide a negative PCR test taken within the past seven days.
“This measure is wholly authoritarian. It effectively mandates and imposes vaccination on every citizen. This measure runs contrary to all the tenets of personal liberties including an individual’s freedom of conscience as enshrined in Article 147 of the Constitution,” Forde said in his statement.
He added: ” This measure represents the erosion of the rights of the citizens and imposes executive tyranny on the citizens of Guyana.
Further it underlines that the PPP regime remains without a plan to combat the spread of COVID-19 and is implementing ad hoc, arbitrary and whimsical measures designed to advance profiteering and which completely disregard the rights of citizens.”
According to Forde, countries throughout CARICOM have pointedly refused to adopt measures that the PPP is bullish in implementing.
“We call on the PPP to immediately rescind this onerous and unconstitutional measure and immediately engage in an emergency all stakeholders forum to chart a prudent and responsible National COVID-19 Management Plan. The APNU+AFC, as the elected representative of more than 50% of Guyana’s electorate remains ready and willing to contribute. Indeed it is obligatory that our involvement is treated with the highest priority.”
Forde said, “We call on the PPP to take note of the decision of the Prime Minister of Jamaica, who has engaged the Leader of the Opposition there to meet on the issue of the rampant spread of COVID in that country. We call on the PPP to follow suit post haste.”
“The PPP must immediately cease and desist from the wild and reckless approach it has adopted which only benefits its acolytes and financiers and leaves the people of the nation isolated, locked out and vulnerable.”
Village Voice News reported earlier on Sunday that to enter a public building, meaning a building to which the public has lawful access, persons in Guyana will now need to be vaccinated or enter by appointment with a negative PCR test. This is according to the newly updated COVID-19 Emergency Measures which took effect September 4, 2021.
The vaccination requirement for “public building” also applies to privately-owned buildings including all institutions of learning. This move by the Government has increased the number of buildings that unvaccinated and non-holders of negative PCR tests do not have access to.
Previously, in the July 29, 2021, Measures the Government only placed the restriction on persons visiting a Ministry or Government Agency.
However, the new instruction for public buildings remains similar that where a member of the public wishes to enter a public building that person much present a vaccination card or that person may only access the building by appointment with a negative PCR test.
For unvaccinated employees of public buildings, they must present a negative PCR test within 7 days of the day they wish to enter the building.
Interestingly, the sections of the previous Measure which spoke to vaccination exemptions and the reopening of schools have not been included in the September 4th Emergency Measures. The previous Emergency Measures have been revoked.
The stricter enforcement comes as many Guyanese remain unvaccinated and against forced vaccination. In some parts of the country, protests have been planned for September 6, 2021, by a range of groups affected by the measures including teachers, health workers and public transport operators.
Over 318,000 persons have been vaccinated with their first dose in Guyana while over 166,000 are fully vaccinated.
