THE Bartica Town Council is providing free transportation to and from work for frontline workers in the battle against the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19).

A bus from the council has been made available to ensure that these workers are taken safely and promptly to work every day.

Mayor of the township, Gifford Marshall, said while these workers are most valuable, they have encountered instances where they were stigmatised.

“The present pandemic has caused some to stigmatise the very persons who are working in their best interest. This is unfortunate. As a consequence, the municipality of Bartica, in its effort to fight this deadly COVID-19 virus, has committed to assisting these workers. Therefore, nurses attached to the Bartica Hospital are provided 24hrs transportation by the Mayor and Town Council in collaboration with the administration of the Bartica Hospital. This group of essential workers are most deserving of this support given their direct contact with patients and the stigma meted out to them by some public transportation service providers,” Marshall said.

He noted too that the municipality of Bartica, though strapped for resources, is committed to supporting the Regional Health Emergency Committee in whatever capacity it can.

According to the mayor, the Regional Executive Officer, Kerwin Ward, and the Regional Health Officer, Dr. Edward Sagala, are doing an exceptional job in keeping the virus out of the region.

“Thus, I wish to use this opportunity to thank them for their impressive leadership in this crisis,” he said.