Residents need to take COVID more seriously, RHEC need to improve – Fordyce

The work being done by the Regional Health and Emergency Committee (RHEC) of Region Ten
need to be significantly enhanced, while residents must recognize that they can play a more
pivotal role in stemming the spread of the disease. This is according to Regional Community
Development Officer, Phillip Fordyce, who has responsibility for the Community Infrastructure
Improvement Programme (CIIP) workers in Region Ten.
Fordyce was at the time speaking in an exclusive interview with www.aroundtheregions.com
where he said that the RHEC of Region Ten certainly has to improve if they are going to see
improvement with regards to the numbers. Region Ten continues to see a sharp increase of its
numbers with at least two persons dying in the past week from the disease. Fordyce reminded all
that the RHEC being the taskforce for Region Ten will have to improve its performance if they
are going to meaningfully contribute to the reduction of the spread of the disease. The Regional
Community Development Officer (RCDO) warned that failure by the RHEC to get its work
effectively and efficiently done can and may result in the entire Linden community contracting
the disease.
“We must be a more serious people, while the RHEC and other stakeholders must reinforce the
laws regarding COVID because there are persons who are definitely not adhering to the rules and
laws. So, we need to reinforce so that persons would adhere to the rules and laws of COVID, if
not we will continue to be in serious problem here in the region. Linden is just a very small place
so if we don’t adhere to the rules we can see within a short space of time the entire Linden would
be wiped off,” Fordyce warned.
The Regional Community Development Officer was frank with his review of what the RHEC
committee is doing. He stressed that they continue to fail the public by withholding information
thus resulting in residents not having several questions ad concerns address. This, he stressed
will not be productive adding that the public must be informed every step of the way. He warned
that while there are a lot of information out there regarding COVID, it’s imperative that residents
of Region Ten have information that is tailored and or directly addresses their region.
“Ensuring the public is informed is very important as it could create increased problems for
persons in the community. Persons may contract or persons may have the disease but because
they are not adhering to rules and the laws more persons would contract the disease. If one
person comes home after contracting the disease and lets say about six persons living in that
home you will find the rest of those in the home may very well contract the disease,” Fordyce
reiterated,
He disclosed that there are several areas where persons continue to flout the COVID related
guidelines and measures warning that the RHEC has to recognize that it has a responsibility not
only to the public but also themselves. He commended the police for what he said is a
satisfactory job thus far considering the challenges. He added that every individual has an
important role to play.

“We continue to see persons doing things that is contrary at this time of COVID and while our
first thought is to get the police involved, we much understand that the police can only do so
much as they are tasked with so many other responsibilities. Every person has to play their part
including officials who are expected to know better,” he cautioned.