More COVID-19 checkpoints for border areas
North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB)
North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB)

 

THE Region 9 North Rupununi Task Force will be setting up COVID-19 checkpoints in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to help with contact tracing, as concerns of illegal crossing at Guyana’s porous borders have been raised.

The health checkpoints will be located at Toka Village; in Annai and at Kurukupari. Persons traversing these areas will be noted, screened and their contact and travel information collected so that health officials can trace whom they have been in contact with or are likely to be in contact with, should the need arise.

Just a few days ago, the Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) reported that foreigners, likely from Brazil, were illegally entering Guyana and being assisted along the road to Georgetown and other communities by Guyanese.

The IIC had been tipped off of such cases taking place in the Iwokrama Forest and is working with the GPF and the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) to address the situation. There are plans for a three-month ban to be placed on vehicles which have been assisting in these illegal activities.

In an interview with the newspaper on Sunday, IIC Director of Resource Management and Training, Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar, reported that, thus far, the Police have one person in custody while another has been deported. Investigations are ongoing.

Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) Director of Resource Management and Training, Dr. Raquel Thomas-Caesar

Explaining how the traffickers and foreign nationals were bypassing law enforcement, she said that before arriving at police checkpoints/stations along the route, where passengers must disembark to show their Identification Cards, the foreigners are being allowed to exit the vehicle, trek through trails created in the forest away from the checkpoints, and re-embark the vehicle after it passes the checkpoint.

“The police wouldn’t see them because they’re in the bush,” she said. “Before they reach Iwokrama, the trail starts. So, they’re walking through the trail, pass the Ranger Station where there are police stations, then they go all the way up so when the busses pass, the busses go and collect them at that point.”

At a subsequent checkpoint, Dr. Thomas-Caesar said that another trail that connects to a river is being used. Some of the foreigners are heading to the capital and it is likely that a similar method is being used throughout.

It was when a staff of IIC noticed some strange movements near the area that an investigation took place and rangers were able to find “well connected trails” formed only after the COVID-19 travel restrictions were put in place.

Dr. Thomas-Caesar said that the trails appear to be new and would have been otherwise seen by staff at the Centre as, prior to COVID-19, they would frequent the forests for tourism-related purposes.

She is disappointed that Guyanese are the ones assisting the foreigners to illegally cross their border at a time when COVID-19 has been snuffing the lives of millions.

Regions 8 and 9 are located right on the edge of Brazil which has recorded over 2 million cases of COVID-19 and over 78,000 deaths. With plans of increasing security in Region 9, where the recent cases of illegal crossing have been pinpointed, Dr. Thomas-Caesar is fearful that the efforts of these individuals may be redirected to Region 8 which has challenges when it comes to transporting sick individuals quickly out to the capital.

As of July 18, it was reported that there were 18 cases in Region 9 with 55 persons on home quarantine and 1 person in institutional quarantine. Of the 16 samples sent to the central lab on Friday, 7 samples were positive. Three came from Aranaputa and four from Potarinau. “All the COVID-19 cases that are in these villages are due to people coming over the border,” Dr. Thomas-Caesar said.

Meanwhile, Venezuela, which has recorded over 11,000 cases and over 100 deaths, sits next door to Regions One and 7. Suriname to the East has recorded over 700 cases and 18 deaths and closely borders Region 6.

Dr. Thomas-Caesar believes that more concerted efforts should be taken about these neighbouring countries in the South American region as the virus can continue to thrive between the four countries if strict efforts do not work to prevent illegal crossing.

She also appealed to Guyanese guilty of disregarding the COVID-19 measures in place: “We have been more caring about how what we do affect other people…it calls for cooperation to get rid of this virus, if not, we will have a third spike.”

Also speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), Ivor Marslow, who told the newspaper that the North Rupununi District has its own local Task Force made up of health officials, the Community Development Officer (CDO), District Development Officer (DDO), representatives of the NRDDB, Toshaos and the police.

“They did have a meeting and agreed that they would set up three checkpoints. There were some discussions as to where it would be set up because we wanted to find out where people were coming from and where they’re actually going,” he explained.

Already, a checkpoint has been set up at the Bina Hill Junction near Annai. There is hope, that within the next week, the other checkpoints will be set up. Marslow is pleased that the Guyana Police Force is onboard to enforce the authority needed at the checkpoints.

He said: “We have to have the cooperation with local people because, a lot of people from Guyana have family in Brazil or close friends and, for some reason, people think that this is the time to travel and go see friends to bring them here. We have got to strive for that cooperation and we think that having that checkpoint, maybe at Toka, it would prevent a lot of traffic from coming through there because that is the only access point at this time.”

He said that there are reports about persons who cut across the borders at this area during the nights. Marslow supports greater awareness on the seriousness of COVID-19 and more maturity from individuals with regards to ensuring they protect themselves and others from the virus.

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