Club Altitude’s owner, staffers and patrons fined for breaching Covid-19 curfew

From top left: Joy Craigan, Johanna Craigan, Tiffany Ross, and Kalvin Ramkellawan

Several persons were on Wednesday fined for breaching the Covid-19 measures by hosting a private party at the popular Club Altitude Cocktail Bar and Grill located at Sandy Babb Street, Kitty, Georgetown. They appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Those charged are  Club Altitude’s owner, Meer Rahaman; Nickel Thomas, 23, a bartender; Tiffany Ross 32, who is employed at the Guyana Post Office and Club Altitude; Kalvin Ramkellawan, 18, who operates a hookah business at Club Altitude; Fiona Samuels, 28; Johanna Craigan and Joy Craigan.

Rahaman was charged for hosting a private party on March 13 and April 4. The others were charged for attending the private party. All the defendants pleaded guilty to the charges except Samuels. Those who pleaded guilty were fined $16, 350 or in default one-month imprisonment.

Samuels, on the other hand, was released on $5,000 bail. She will return to court on April 21, 2021.

Recently, the National Covid-19 Taskforce has formally written to the managers, proprietors, and operators of The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports (GMR&SC) Club, Altitude Cocktail Bar and Grill, and Kairos Sports Bar and Lounge informing them that they are to close their establishment for one month.

The instructions were given on the basis that the establishments breached the Covid-19 measures by hosting events that also breached the national curfew stipulation. In the case of the GMR&SC, its operations were suspended for hosting the funeral of Ricardo Fagundes who was gunned down in March.

“This was evident in numerous photographs and videos which flooded social media. This blatant disregard for the Covid-19 measures reflects your contempt for the laws of Guyana” the taskforce noted in its letter to the manager of GMR&SC.

The Altitude Cocktail Bar and Grill received a sanction for a month which will run from April 9 to May 9, 2021. In the letter received by Club Altitude, the taskforce noted that the establishment promoted an entertainment event that allowed for social gathering which represents a breach of the COVID-19 measures.

Kairos Sports Bar and Longue of 163 Charlotte Street will have their operations suspended from April 9 to May 09, 2021. The establishment is accused of breaching several sections of the Covid-19 measures when they promoted an entertainment event and also breached the national curfew.