By Godfrey Broomes
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Minister of health, Dr Frank Anthony, said there will be no further extension for travellers to take the second dose of a covid vaccine to enter the country.
During the COVID-19 update on Monday, Dr Anthony affirmed that after November, only fully vaccinated passengers will be allowed entry into Guyana.
“After the end of November, the mandate will be fully implemented. So, unless you’re fully vaccinated, you’re not going to be allowed. So, people have a chance to get themselves in compliance and once they do that, then they will be able to travel freely.”
In the updated Covid-19 guidelines for November, only fully vaccinated persons will be allowed to enter Guyana. But there have been objections from sections of society, requesting time to be fully vaxxed.
Minister Anthony said the government realised that many Guyanese would be barred from returning to Guyana and has such lifted the policy until the end of November.
“The challenge when we did that is that we discovered very quickly that there are some Guyanese who only took one of the doses and some of them took the dose and they have travelled abroad and to get back into the country would have caused that difficulty. So, we have given them a limited period by which time, if they only have one dose, they have up to the end of November that they’ll be allowed to return to Guyana.”
Minister Anthony said this will further protect Guyana from imported cases. As there are no vaccination sites at the two international airports, minister Anthony said passengers desirous of being vaccinated can visit any of the 100 vaccination sites countrywide.
He is urging the population to be vaccinated, as it will slow down the infection and death rates.