The representative of the PAHO/WHO in Guyana Dr. William Adu Krow is calling for all sectors of the Guyanese society to get on board the fight against the coronavirus since he fears that a sudden increase in cases here could spell trouble for the local health sector.
So far, Guyana has recorded five confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with the fear that there might be other cases that are undetected.
In an interview with News Source today, Dr. Adu-Krow said the fight against the coronavirus is not just a fight for the Health Ministry and officials in the health sector, but it must involve other critical players in the society.
“A lot more needs to be done. The health response has been great but we need a lot more outside of health. We need to involve the private sector and the faith-based organisations, we need to have everybody on board”, he said.
He said the response has mainly come from the health sector but there is a need for a good strategic plan that will cater to the costs attached to addressing the fallout from the coronavirus.
Dr. Adu-Krow said Guyana has a plan in place that could cater for the quarantine of up to 200 persons but there could be a bigger problem if there is community spread of the coronavirus.
According to the PAHO/WHO Representative, the system could be challenged if there is a sudden increase in the number of coronavirus victims locally.
He said while a total lockdown may be recommended for Guyana, the political climate in the country might not allow for such a lockdown.
Although Health Officials have been warning citizens about social gatherings, this past weekend saw many persons still going about their lives as usual with visits to the creeks and hang out at bars in the city.
“It can be done, but some of it may seem like draconian in terms of quarantine, but if the person doesn’t want to stay at home, what do you do? Streets must be empty, persons don’t have to be on the streets, they don’t have to come to the streets. Funerals, Weddings, churches, all of those must be tackled and they must be tackled with the same energy that it deserves and we must do it now because if we don’t do it, we could be overwhelmed”, he warned.
The World Health Organisation today reported that there has been an acceleration in the spread of the coronavirus. Many countries have instituted strict lockdown and quarantine rules to force citizens into social distancing.
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