…GGDMA urges more rigorous

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) on Friday said it is alarmed by the recent upsurge in the number of cases of the disease in certain mining areas, but it has blamed it on illegal crossings and poor border control.

In a statement the association said it has recognised that most of the cases can be traced and are connected to illegal cross border activity at mining landings and areas where miners dwell. “These cases have been linked and traced to itinerant workers who are not directly involved or associated with mining or specific operations. It appears that the COVID-19 is being spread at our borders which remain porous because of lax enforcement of crossings and other border control measures, this must be addressed immediately by the authorities,” the GGDMA noted.

According to the mining association mining landings, registered shops need to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and the curfew which is in place. “The association calls on all miners to have a strict adherence of the measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus and to avoid congregating unnecessarily at public spaces. Specifically, shops are reminded that no social gatherings or the consumption of food and drinks are to be allowed on premises, customers must purchase and leave. The GGDMA is against illegal shops which encourage mining workers to flaunt the COVID-19 guidelines and breaches the curfew. These illegal shops must be removed. We call on the relevant authorities to assist in this regard,” the statement said.

According to GGDAM activities, at landings and camps, that promote the spread of the disease and contribute to the disobedience of the curfew and COVID-19 guidelines must stop. “Camp Managers must follow the guidelines and enforce the rules established by the MOH, PAHO and WHO to ensure the safety of mining camps. There can be no compromise to ensure the safety of all workers on the mining camp. The GGDMA recognises the increasing spread of the virus and would like to be engaged by the COVID-19 Steering Committee on whatever decisions are being made for the gold and diamond mining industry of Guyana to help alleviate this disease. In the meantime, the Association continues to work with PAHO to develop a guideline for mining, this is expected to be completed by next week.”

Health authorities here have time and again warned “mining regions” to be extra cautious because of the “heavy traffic” in and out of communities within those regions. The traffic in those communities remain high because the gold and diamond mining sector remains “essential” and is fully operational.