Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Apr 20, 2020 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
Last week, two bandits robbed a cellular phone store on Regent Street. During the robbery, one of the robbers went inside and the other stayed outside. The one inside advised customers to wear masks to prevent the coronavirus. The bandits took away cell phones, electronic tablets and colognes.
Most persons have said that even the bandits are conscious about the coronavirus threat. No one, however, has questioned why is this store, providing non-essential services, was open for business during the lockdown.
Guyana is now into its second week of a partial lockdown. The authorities are warning that stronger measures may have to be put in place to ensure the enforcement of the restrictions – this being two weeks after the fact.
The authorities do not understand exponential growth. It is exponential growth which explains how the United States of America recorded its first coronavirus case on January 20th and its first coronavirus-related death only on February 28 but that, ever since, the virus has spread like a wildfire in that country, but primarily in New York and New Jersey. These two states account for about 40% of the total confirmed cases and more than half of total deaths.
Within six weeks, the number of confirmed cases in the United States has reached (as of noon yesterday) 740,928 – almost the same as Guyana’s population. Thirty-nine thousand persons have died thus far in the USA, and the bad news is that the virus has not yet peaked in that country, despite more than 90% of the population, in 45 states, being at home.
In Italy, 23,000 persons have died and in Spain, where it appears the virus is now peaking, 23,227 persons have died as at noon yesterday. In the United Kingdom, 16,000 persons have died, most of whom perished during the past three weeks.
Globally 162,005 persons have died as a result of the virus. This is more than the population of Georgetown. And more than 2.3 million persons have so far been confirmed as having the virus. Many more will die before this is over.
The coronavirus is deadly and highly contagious. But it is exponential growth which explains its rapid spread in the USA and Europe. When, therefore, the authorities in Guyana speak about strengthening enforcement of the restrictions, one has to question whether they understand exponential growth, and whether they realise what is happening around the world.
When other countries speak about deaths peaking, they are not speaking about a one- or two-day phenomenon. Peaking can go on for more than two weeks, and then the number of deaths come down gradually, not rapidly, over another few weeks. The peak and post-peak periods, which can run as long as a month, are therefore the deadliest.
Guyana’s coronavirus curves are outliers; coronavirus deaths in Guyana are already high relative to the country’s population and total number of confirmed cases. The average age of those dying, locally, is far below the average of the dead in other countries. Younger people are dying here. Unless, we put a lid on things, Guyana can find itself in the same position as Spain, where more than 417 persons per every one million of the population have died. At that rate, more than 300 Guyanese stand to die before this pandemic is over.
The country is heading into a perfect storm. Its health systems and mortuaries are going to be overwhelmed when the coronavirus peaks locally. And only then will people realise the mistake which was made when the government played politics with the lockdown. Only then, they will rue the public’s slackness during the lockdown.
Two weeks into Guyana’s partial lockdown, you can still find some electronic, hardware and haberdashery stores open for business. Many lumber yards are still open for business. People are still going into the markets without masks in violation of the restrictions. The government has been lax about enforcing the regulations.
The government should implement the existing laws dealing with the opening and closing hours of businesses. Shops, stores, markets and supermarkets, providing essential services should be open only between the hours of 8am to 4pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays and Saturdays should be half-days, and no shops or stores or markets and supermarkets should be open on Sundays period.
You do not tighten enforcement two weeks into a lockdown. You tighten it from the start, and then after the virus peaks, you gradually slacken the restrictions. Spain is still having hundreds of deaths on average each day, but they are past their peak and have begun to ease restrictions. They are allowing children to now come out from their homes. Here in Guyana, children can be seen gallivanting all over the place during the lockdown.
“When you don’t hear, you does feel”. And Guyanese are not going to like the suffering and losses which will result from the mishandling of this pandemic.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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