Hopetown woman attacks person distributing COVID-19 cash grant

A supervisor of the COVID-19 cash grant initiative was on Tuesday assaulted by a woman at Hopetown, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
The incident occurred in the presence of four Police Officers and four other members of the cash grant relief team.

Molly Balram told Guyana Times that she was hit about her body by the woman who was refusing to sign a document which was required before the $25,000 was distributed.
Balram explained that as a supervisor, she was asked to go to the location after the team reported that they were encountering problems with the recipient.
The recipient was contending that the household has two families: one occupying the upper flat and the other the bottom flat.

Based on the guidelines set out by the Government, both households are required to sign a ‘pink form’ indicating that the property is being occupied by more than one family. This information will then have to be verified before the cash grant is distributed.
However, the woman was reportedly refusing to sign the document and demanded that she be given the $25,000. During the process, she assaulted the supervisor.

Balram told this publication that even though she was assaulted, none of the Policemen made an arrest, noting that they needed a female officer to execute the arrest.
Balram further told this publication that on Wednesday while she was in the same area continuing the distribution, the same woman was verbally abusing her. Several efforts to contact the Regional Coordinator Rian Pieters on the issue proved futile.