The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Industry (GCCI) says it stands ready to support the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) with the minimum 33,000 face masks reportedly required for the national recount.
President of GCCI, Nicholas Boyer, told the News Room during an interview that it is baffling that GECOM would require 33,000 masks for the 25 day period for the recount if the masks are to be changed every hour and 66,000 if the masks are changed every half hour.
“On one hand, I’ll say that I am taken back by the 33,000 figure and the other hand, I’ll say that the private sector, being innovative, is always going to be ready to supply if needed.
“And so we have a number of members who stepped up when they saw the headlines and say – we can help out and we can supply to ensure this is not an issue,” Boyer stated.
“The Ministry of Health first of all needs to strengthen it’s stocking of masks and also does not have a protocol as strict as what would be used in the recount,” he added.
Boyer said the hospitals are not using this initiative of changing masks every hour or half hour.
“I was confused as to why we are applying a standard that is not even been applied on the frontlines of the COVID-19 fight.”
Boyer further questioned the recommendations for the masks for the recount, asking why, if this is medically sound, it is not applied to health care workers who are on the frontline. He said hospitals are also severely under sourced.
He highlighted that the GCCI is in support of masks not just for the recount but also for others as this will be life moving forward.
Last Friday, GECOM completed the Order to be gazetted to trigger the national recount. The Commission is now awaiting the arrival of the high-level CARICOM team to start the process which is expected to last 25 days.
