-REO says reports of migrants in the community

REGIONAL Executive Officer (REO) of Region Nine, Carl Parker, has reported that the COVID-19 situation in the region has become a challenge.
The region has 36 active Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Parker told DPI via a phone interview. “They are 23 new cases in the region, that in addition to the 18 we had before. Of those 18, four have recovered and one died, so that is 23 and 13 active cases that we now have.” Parker said.

However, the REO has made it clear that no resident of Lethem has been diagnosed with COVID -19, but instead the cases were being imported from neighbouring Brazil. “Persons are still coming across the border and when they reach the villages, residents are hiding them, so when the team shows up, they are told that they are no persons from the border. But now we know persons are coming from the border. Those cases did not come from Lethem, we have no reports of anyone in Lethem with COVID-19, everything is from across Brazil,” the REO explained.

Parker warned that this practice of harbouring migrants threatens local communities with the spread of COVID-19. “That is a dangerous situation,” he noted. The REO has since raised the matter with the local Toshaos. “Despite all the pleading, begging and information out there, persons are still not adhering to the safety guidelines,” Parker stated. Community leaders have been called on to ensure residents are adhering to the health guidelines as communities across Region Nine have since been warned by the Regional Health Officials that they were at a high risk of seeing more COVID-19 cases. (DPI)