GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) — The Ministry of Health is investigating reports that people have been selling fake COVID-19 vaccination booklets.

Guyana’s Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, who made the disclosure, warned that anyone found in possession of bogus documents would face the courts.

“I just want to remind the general public that in Section 240 of our criminal law, our Criminal Offences Act, Chapter 8:01, forgery is an offence and you can be prosecuted for forgery. The fine, if you’re found guilty of forgery, would be up to three years imprisonment.

“If you forge a vaccination card, then you will be liable to this type of punishment if caught. So, I want to encourage people to desist from such practices because when we catch you, you are going to feel the full brunt of the law,” Dr Anthony said during his COVID-19 update on Wednesday.

He added that persons who purchase counterfeit documents will also have to go before the court.

“The people who were buying the vaccination card, if there are such actions that are currently ongoing, I just want to warn people that this is an offence and we will be taking very stern measures against anyone who’s trying to do this,” he warned.

On the sidelines of another event held Wednesday, Dr Anthony said the ministry is looking to digitise its COVID-19 vaccination records.

The recently published gazetted COVID-19 Measures for August stipulates that vaccination booklets are to be presented when visiting Government agencies, restaurants and cinemas.

Meantime, the health minister disclosed that there has been an increase in the number of people coming forward to take the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.

He said there are enough vaccines for the country’s adult population and he has encouraged residents to get inoculated.

To date, 254,883 people in Guyana have received their first dose of the vaccine while 142,114 persons are fully vaccinated.