….issues new measures for Moruca owing to spike in COVID-19 cases
—no travel in or out communities up to July 16

By Lisa Hamilton

IN response to a spike in COVID-19 cases in remote areas of the country, the government has updated its Emergency COVID-19 Measures to announce a cease in all mining activities at Aranka/Arangoy Landing in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and several new restrictions in the Region One village of Moruca.

There are over 70 cases recorded in the Moruca sub-region while Aranka/Arangoy Landing has over 30. As such, along with the previous measure in place such as a 6pm-6am curfew, the new measures took effect from July 3, 2020 and will last until July 16, 2020.

As regards the Aranka/Arangoy Landing, there are restrictions which apply to residents within the radius of specific geographical coordinates and include all mining sites. These coordinates include Point 1 Easting 227245 – Northing 712050; Point 2 Easting 242122 – Northing 726327; Point 3 Easting 226835 – Northing 726395 and Point 4 Easting 227245 – Northing 711979.

Meanwhile, they apply to all Moruca residents and businesses within radius of the following geographical coordinates: Easting 287078 – Northing 843775 – Point 1 Easting 252575 – Northing 828716; Point 2 Easting 326394 – Northing 828519; Point 3 Easting 347585 – Northing 800028 and Point 4 Easting 253485 – Northing 800892.

RESTRICTIONS TO REGIONS 1 AND 7

The government, through the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), has ordered that no person shall travel into or out of the areas listed in the aforementioned schedule during the period July 3, 2020 to July 16, 2020, without the authorisation of the Minister of Public Health.

Added to this, every person residing in the listed areas in the schedule shall wear a mask fitted to cover the nose and mouth of the person when in public; gatherings shall not exceed five persons and the physical distance of six feet between persons shall apply to those gatherings; all mining operations shall cease and all homes and public places including shops, landing, means of transportation and conveyances shall be sanitised.

The new measures not only address residents, but every employer or operator of a business. These persons are expected to ensure that hand-washing stations, or hand- sanitising equipment, are placed and maintained at the entrance of the workplace or business premises, so that persons entering the premises have the opportunity to wash or sanitise their hands before entering .

They also require that all employees, customers or visitors are directed to wash or sanitise their hands before entering the business premises; all employee workstations and all equipment on the business premises are sanitised before each work shift and, as far as is reasonably practicable, that all employees, customers, visitors and staff at the business maintain physical distancing of no less than six feet from each other;
The NCTF is firm on the instruction that persons with flu-like symptoms or respiratory symptoms be not permitted to go to work, or if they are at work, are not permitted to remain at work, or enter the business premises and the Ministry of Public Health must be informed of the persons who have those symptoms.

“Where the Ministry of [Public] Health considers it necessary, the ministry may test for coronavirus any person who resides in any area listed in the schedule and quarantine, isolate and treat any person. Any person who tests positive for coronavirus shall be placed in controlled isolation,” the notice stated.

“Likewise, to residents at places of employment , the physical distance of six feet apart shall be maintained and every person wears a mask fitted to cover the nose and mouth of the person while in the workplace or on the business premises.

“In addition to the measures in this notice, the measures under this paragraph shall apply to the areas and the corresponding geographical coordinates listed in the schedule and where there is any conflict, the measures under this paragraph shall prevail,” the notice stated.

Regarding law enforcement, the Police Force shall coordinate and mobilise the security of quarantine and isolation sites, materials or goods and screening and testing checkpoints; provide escort for mobile teams; and ensure the security of entry and exit points of the areas listed in the schedule.

Apart from these measures specific to Regions One and Seven, there have been several other minor updates to the measures previously in place. They include medical schools, public sector construction and factories, manufacturers or distributors being added to the list of essential services which may carry on operations for 24 hours each day.

The notice maintains that any person who fails to comply with any of these measures commits an offence under section 152 of the Public Health Ordinance and is liable on summary conviction to the penalty provided under that section.