No evidence lockdown will reduce spread of ‘COVID’; Jagdeo urges all to get vaccinated

Announcing that the government was not considering a lockdown in wake of a rise in COVID-19 cases and deaths locally, Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo on Friday said there was also no empirical evidence to prove that shifting the current curfew hours will reduce the rate of infection.

The current curfew starts at 10:30 pm and ends at 4:00 am daily.  Dr Jagdeo, during a press conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday, said other countries in the region, which have been in lockdown since the start of the pandemic, have experienced worse levels of infections.

“We have demonstrated that there is no imperial evidence to say shifting curfew hours you will get less rates of infection.

“We had to have a nuanced approach, unlike other countries, which have totally shut down…  take for example Trinidad, which has been in a perpetual state of lockdown for the last year, and it did not help really,” the Vice President said.

Dr Jagdeo, in response to a question, made it clear that the government was not considering a lockdown.

“I am not aware the government is considering another lockdown… I am not aware there is any such consideration,” he added.

Dr Jagdeo said there is a need to “keep people working” and “economic activities going”.

He, in turn, urged all citizen to get vaccinated and be responsible, noting that once the majority of the population is vaccinated, then persons can stop wearing masks and the country and fully reopen.

“If we are all vaccinated, then we can open up the country and we don’t have to wear masks. We can go about our business.”

The latest figures released by the Ministry of Health show that Guyana’s death toll for COVID-19 has increased to 351 following two deaths on Thursday.

Meanwhile, another 160 people were infected with COVID-19 over a 24-hour period; this means that the total number of cases recorded since March 11, 2020, has increased to 15,903.