Days before he passed away after receiving treatment at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Georgetown, local journalist, Mondale Smith, pleaded with COVID-positive people to stay home instead of placing others at risk.
In a post on his Facebook page, Smith said, “Dear people diagnosed as being Corona/COVID-19 positive, you are not being responsible when you decide to go out and party and hangout. You are supposed to be at home relaxing and healing/recovering.”
He said that infected people should be more mindful of who they socialise with, or even socialising at all, since they would be putting others at risk.
“I would hate to be one of the persons advocating for your names and photos to be published but y’all being selfish and causing the numbers of corona positive people to rise.
“If you are positive, stay your ass at home,” he pleaded.
Smith alluded to an encounter with a woman at a popular night spot embracing other people but was rebuked by her friend. That friend told the COVID-positive woman that she should be home in quarantine.
“I don’t hate you and no one should but lord knows we don’t like what you folks are doing,” Smith wrote in his Facebook post.
Smith, who was also a chef, passed away on Monday after he was infected with the disease, COVID-19 and spent the past few weeks in the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Georgetown.
The former journalist was reportedly experiencing severe symptoms of COVID-19 and as such, was hospitalised. He reportedly died from complications.
Smith was a well-known journalist in Guyana. He worked at the Kaieteur News along with other media houses and also served as the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Education under Nicolette Henry. He was also a radio broadcaster.
That is a powerful message from the grave. He is 100% right and persons that are casual about it should be treated harshly by the authorities.