GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Government, in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19, has issued amendments to Section 17 of COVID-19 guidelines which dealt with vaccination requirements for government buildings to now include all public buildings including privately owned ones and institutions of learning.
According to the amendment – issued less than a week after the guidelines were revealed – “any person who wishes to enter a public building shall be vaccinated”.
It further explained that in the absence of being vaccinated against COVID-19, a person would have to make an appointment to visit that public building and present a negative PCR COVID-19 test result to gain access.
The regulation defines a public building as “any building to which the public has lawful access and shall include both publicly and privately owned buildings including all institutions of learning”.
It also states that any employee who wishes to enter a public building which would include their place of work, must also be vaccinated or provide a negative PCR test result for entry.
Bases on the regulations covering both public and private buildings, it would cover the markets and supermarkets, stores, private hospitals, and all private businesses and institutions including places of worship that the public would have access to.
And with the updated regulations covering institutions of learning, it would mean that unvaccinated teachers and staff, and students of both public and private schools will now have to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test to attend classes in school.
The previous regulations only covered government ministries and departments and agencies.
The updated guidelines are much broader and cover almost all sectors in Guyana, both public and privately owned.
Meanwhile, the government has received lots of pushback for its policy which covered only the government buildings, so far several protests have been held across the country and others are being planned against the government’s vaccination policy. (CMC)
