COVID-19 vaccine no longer needed to enter Guyana- Health Ministry

Last Updated on Friday, 7 October 2022, 19:37 by Denis Chabrol

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport

The Ministry of Health’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Narine Singh has instructed that persons travelling to Guyana no longer need to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, COVID-19.

He told the Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Retired Lt Col. Egbert Field that “the government of Guyana has taken a decision to lift the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for entry into Guyana with immediate effect, October 7, 2022.”

At the same time, the Chief Medical Officer said “all travellers are being encouraged to continue to observe the public health measures set out by the Ministry of Health.”  These include the wearing of masks and washing hands.

The GCAA subsequently informed all international operators.

The Chief Medical Officer told Demerara Waves Online News that government decided to lift the vaccination requirement because of the few number of cases and the fact that the most dominant omicron variant, though highly contagious, does not afflict persons as severe as other variants. “The number of cases we’re detecting is low now; it is one of the lowest since the pandemic started and we have about 85 percent vaccination level,” he said.  On Friday, the Ministry of Health recorded seven new cases, there was only one in-patient, and no one was in the intensive care unit.

According to him, most visitors who are requesting waivers have genuine medical problems.

The United States still requires visitors to be vaccinated before they are allowed to enter.

Since the start of the pandemic in Guyana in March, 2020, the Health Ministry said 1,281 persons have so far succumbed to the virus.