Although the country’s COVID-19 cases have been surging in the past two months, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo today said the government is not considering any lockdown at this time.

Guyana currently has recorded more than 2000 new cases of the virus in the past two weeks and the death toll has been rising steadily.

During a press conference this afternoon, the Vice President dismissed the idea of a lockdown and used Trinidad and Tobago as an example where a lockdown did not stem the spread of the virus.

“ A number of people have called for changes of protocol, more lockdown and we have demonstrated that there is no empirical evidence to say that by shifting curfew hours you are going to get less rates of infection because people often during the course of the day are engaged in economic activities and other activities without wearing a mask or observing any protocol but we will keep a close watch on the situation,” Jagdeo said during a press conference on Friday.

Jagdeo said the government must keep economic activity going and keep people working.

He said it is important right now for citizens to get vaccinated and keep following the COVID-19 guidelines.

“I am not aware that the government is considering a lockdown. I am not aware that there is any such consideration,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

Asked whether there will be another round of COVID-19 cash relief for citizens, the Vice President said that may not be possible since the first round posed some logistical and other challenges.

“ We are definitely looking to assist people. The big issue is administration, you know it took us a look time to go to each home to give the grant and we had a lot of difficulties too… in some cases people may not have gotten the money and they did not get the chance to fill up the pink form and in some family people lie, in some areas like 4 or 5 people are saying they are the head of the household so we had a rough time and people who were distributing had to contend with all sorts of things,” Jagdeo said.

The Vice President said the government is looking to provide additional help to the more vulnerable groups but not to every citizen.

The Ministry of Health has announced that its vaccination site will be opened into the early evening hours in the coming days.

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