With effect from today the Mayor and Town Council of Corriverton, Corentyne has instituted a series of measures which curtail business hours and restrict public gatherings as part of efforts to restrict community spread of the novel Corona-virus (COVID-19).
In a municipal notice the M&TC announced that from April 1, 2020 until further notice all religious organizations and public gatherings are limited to three persons who must maintain a social distance of three to six feet.
Additionally all road side vending will be closed to ensure public safety. Vendors who fail to adhere to this prohibition will have their vending permit temporarily seized.
“No dining and drinking at bars or restaurants. Only take away services should be provided and businesses should be closed 4 pm. All other business entities should be closed at 5 pm [excepting] pharmacies which must close at 6 pm,”
Finally the municipality has stated that “due to the state of emergency all residents are asked to be indoor (home) by 7pm.”
The measures announced makes Corriverton the third of Guyana’s 10 towns to institute a partial lockdown or curfew.
Linden had previously announced that businesses with the exception of supermarkets and pharmacies have been ordered to close at 6pm and all persons are asked to clear the street by 7pm. In New Amsterdam non-essential businesses such as corner-side bars and beauty parlours have been closed while supermarkets and grocery shops have been given a 4:30 pm curfew.
Bartica meanwhile has announced the enforcement of “stay at home” measures and Georgetown has declared that it will not close or alter the operations of any businesses.
“The city is not a light bulb where you can flick a switch and lock it down, we will not lock down the city… we will maintain our daily operations but we call on citizens to be very cautious in how you are dealing with yourself out there,” Mayor Ubraj Narine told a press conference at City Hall on Monday.
He stressed that the City will try to enforce measures for social distancing and hygienic practices instead of a lock down or curfew.
While the efforts made by most municipalities have been welcome criticism has been levelled at the disjointed manner in which they are being developed an announced.
There appears to be no coordination among the various Local Government Authorities or with the governmental task force that has been established. Critics say there is no coordination among the various tiers of the government and that the two-week lockdown of the two international airports should have been accompanied by complementary measures in the towns to prevent the transmission of the virus.
