PR – The Ministry of Health witnessed with great concern the blatant disregard for COVID-19 protocols, exhibited during the protest event by some public service employees on Tuesday March 23.
Ministry officials observed with horror, the flouting of all fundamental public health protocols, while protesters paraded through the streets and at the Ministerial Complex in Tanteen.
Chanting as they progressed along their route, the protesters failed to maintain the recommended physical distance, and many were not wearing a mask or other face covering as mandated by law.
These factors are key principles that have been articulated worldwide for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The protesters it appears, were willing to put everyone else at risk. The sacrifices made by the entire nation to remain safe, were apparently not given any consideration, and the lost freedoms and livelihoods seemed to mean nothing.
While every individual’s right to protest should be protected, the way in which Tuesday’s activity was carried out, was quite alarming, given the global context.
Even closer to home, at the regional level, Grenada is surrounded by countries experiencing community spread of COVID-19. The horrors being experienced by our regional brothers and sisters in this pandemic are made quite visible in daily news reports.
It is therefore unfair than a handful of Grenadians will seek to squander the hard-fought gains that we have made as a people united towards the common objective of fighting COVID-19. Mass gatherings that occur in this manner can create severe public health consequences for the entire country.