Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 14, 2021 News
Kaieteur News – Businesses in Linden for the second time, closed their doors as a form of protest against the mandatory vaccination policy set out by the government. The ‘lock down’ initiative is being pushed by a private citizen, Apostle Nigel London, with support from the region’s elected officials. Businesses both on the Wismar and Mackenzie shore, including those providing essential services, closed their doors in support of the movement. Public transportation was also not available.
According to London, “it is not a political movement but a people’s movement” and called on residents to remain resolute to the movement until the policy is reversed.
While many businesses are of the belief the lockdown will allow the government to change its policy, some are of the opinion that it will also affect the business community of Linden. “Pertaining to the lockdown, I think it is the right step and as long it lasts, the more pressure the government will be under and you would see that they would start making proper decisions,” one businessman said.
Another businessman sharing contrasting views, expressed his disapproval towards the movement but complied out of fear of victimisation. “Remember Linden is a highly political town, you do one different move and you are labelled as you ‘support the PPP’, but is not that you want to lockdown, but to avoid the whole talking and people watching you different and looking like a sell out or a black sheep, you have to close but to me, this hay is just we oppressing we self, nobody but we self ain’t gone feel it,” the businessman said.
Meanwhile, President of the Linden Chamber of Industry Commerce and Development, Victor Fernandes, said that such a move, more so if it is indefinite, will further negatively impact the economy of the region. He said he understands the adverse effects the Gazetted order will have on businesses in Linden and is therefore calling on all and sundry to comply by getting vaccinated. Such orders, he said, is not only placed on Linden but the entire Guyana and in fact, the entire world. “It’s global, if you look all over the world, it is the same thing. It is universal whereby we all would be affected in every facet of our business unless we comply. We have a responsibility as business owners to operate in accordance with the law; it is also a personal responsibility to safeguard ourselves and our loved ones, if we are safe, our family and our associates and those whom we come into contact with, will be safe and we would have a community that is safe,” he said. Fernandes urged business owners to follow credible information on the vaccines and to dispel the myths.
Despite this call from the Chamber President, Region 10 still remains one of the lowest vaccinated regions.
Some residents have used several platforms to express their concern over the measures imposed by government, which they describe as draconian. They believe that the measures will negatively impact their means to a daily bread; not because they did not take the vaccine, but because their clients and customers did not.
Several business places have since sent out notices officially informing their staff, clients and in many cases tenants, of the Gazetted order and its enforcement. For example, the management of the Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), which is the business incubator in Linden and has scores of businesses renting spaces, has informed tenants that as of yesterday, persons cannot enter the building without a vaccination card or a negative PCR test. This means that there will be a significant decrease in business transactions for tenants who will still be required to pay rent for their business spaces.
Desiree Peters, a business owner, told Kaieteur News that the new measures have “raised her pressure” and she is hoping there is a reversal. “Right now, this thing raising me pressure because I know sale will go down big time for me. We now trying to raise back from the pandemic and then this will take us many steps backwards, like I don’t know what to do,” Peters said.
Expressing concerns over the matter were community leaders and loggers of the Upper-Berbice district. The district is one that relies heavily on the logging sector, following the closure of the bauxite company, RUSAL. Regional Councillor, Keisha Griffith McKane, who resides in Ituni said that logging is the community’s main source of income. She is moreover pleading with the government to reverse the policy and to invest more in providing laptops or tablets and internets hubs for the outlying communities.
McKane added that the close-knit community of Ituni and loggers of the logging association have therefore refused to allow the Gazetted order to divide the people of the logging community.
Jean Williams, a logger of Hururu, said that the Guyana Forestry Commission is currently not transacting business with unvaccinated loggers or those who fail to provide a negative PCR test. “Bearing in mind, we just went through a natural disaster and there is no other means of employment, it will have a great effect on the people,” Williams said
Karil Smith, a health worker and also an entrepreneur of Landern’s Ville, Upper-Berbice River, expressed concern for her village which relies heavily on logging.
“We are faced with the flood, RUSAL situation, so it’s a whole lot going on for us. They (Guyana Forestry Commission) refuse to do stump inspection, so basically, it would cripple the economy,” Smith said.
The residents are, therefore, calling on the policymakers to reverse the policy earliest.
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