…lockdown measure awaiting approval from Ministerial Taskforce

A REGIONAL health emergency committee which was formed in the Rupununi to tackle the spread of COVID-19 has proposed that ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) undertake intensified patrols of the unofficial border crossings with Brazil.
The committee which includes stakeholders from the region has written to the Ministerial Taskforce seeking the intervention of the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Patrick West, for increased patrols of the border.

The committee held a meeting on Wednesday, and among officials in attendance were Bryan Allicock , Regional Chairman, Lethem Mayor John Macedo ,Superintendent Keithon King – Regional Police Commander , Allison Comacho – Vice President, Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) and Radio Lethem Coordinator as well as officials of the Guyana Defence Force and the Guyana Revenue Authority. Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, chaired the meeting.

On Thursday, Parker told the Guyana Chronicle that a lockdown has not been placed in effect; however, the committee is awaiting reaction to the recommendations sent to the ministerial taskforce, through Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan.
The recommendations include proposals for the Guyana/Brazil border to be closed for 2 weeks initially; that cargo vehicles be allowed passage only once a week, that is, on Thursdays.

The body also proposed for the Kurupukari Crossing be restricted to all vehicles except Cargo trucks, Military, Police and Government Vehicles. Private vehicles should only cross if they have no more than 2 persons in the vehicles.

It was also recommended that retail and grocery stores will be opened up to 18:00 hours daily. After that, no one should be on the streets until 06:00 hours next day.
Additionally, the committee informed that there is a family of six persons residing in St. Ignatius, Rupununi, which has come forward and informed the Regional Committee that family members have been in contact with a man who was tested positive for the Coronavirus in Bon Fin, Brazil, earlier in the week. Presently, The Regional Rapid Response Team is conducting interviews with that family.

Earlier this week, a 37-year-old Brazilian man, whose father operates a butchery at the Lethem market, tested positive for COVID-19 in the neighbouring country.
Reports are that the man, who frequents Lethem, was in contact with infected persons at Boa Vista.

Residents of Lethem immediately called on the authorities in the region to implement measures to mitigate the spread of the virus as some noted that the area is at high-risk given its proximity to Bon Fin across the border. Brazil’s coronavirus numbers have climbed rapidly to past 2500 recorded cases from less than 300 last Friday. To date, more than 50 deaths have been listed and according to reports in the Brazilian media, a high concentration of the cases has been recorded in the city of Sao Paulo.