Region 10 vaccination rate sees two percent increase in two weeks

Regional Health Officer, Dr. Gregory Harris, said that Region 10 has seen an increase in the number of persons getting vaccinated against COVID-19 but the region still continues to lag behind. “We moved from 19. 5 percent to 21.9 percent as of Thursday morning and with the positive response from the sub-region, we are looking to set up a fixed site in the sub-region, ” Harris told INFO 10. He said outlying communities such as Kwakwani and villages in the Upper-Berbice River are seeing more and more persons taking the jab. This was recorded over the last three weeks, when the vaccination team visited the district.

Harris was at the time speaking at the Kwakwani Utilities Incorporated on Thursday, while several employees were taking the vaccines, as it was required of them to do, in keeping with government’s vaccination policy.

KUI’s General Manager, David Adams, during an interview with this media house retiriate the company’s firm stance in not footing any expense incurred upon employees who choose not to get vaccinated and opt to procure a PCR test.
“If you don’t want to get vaccinated that’s your choice, now the other choice that is given to you, is that you must come with the test, wherever the test is available, you will have to go and get the test. We will not pay any transportation cost for anyone to go out and get their test, we will not stand any cost to get these tests done,” he affirmed.

This position is taken country wide at all government agencies, which disallows employees to enter the buildings without a vaccination card or a negative PCR test. In Region 10, this is being enforced at the Post Offices, the National Insurance Scheme, The Guyana Revenue Authority, the Regional Democratic Council, Guyana Lands and Survey Commission, Guyana Forestry Commission, all public health facilities, amongst others.

The policy sparked protest action in Linden and Kwakwani. On Wednesday, a unity march was held in Linden and Regional Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira said that if the policy is not reversed completely the movement will be intensified.