…sharp rise in cases worry residents at ‘Devil’s Hole’ in Region Seven

A POPULAR restaurant in the Aranaputa Valley near Annai in the North Rupununi has closed its doors after several staff members of the business have tested positive for COVID-19 recently.

Reports are that the entity, which also houses a supermarket and fuel depot, was the subject of testing by medical teams in recent days after a staff member was tested for the virus early in July. The entity is a popular stop-off point for passenger and private vehicles traversing the roadway. This includes minibuses which ply the Georgetown/Lethem route.

Reports are that early in July following a positive case recorded there, a series of tests were carried out on staff members, and three persons tested positive for the virus, raising concerns of residents in the surrounding villages that community spread of the virus was likely.

The Guyana Chronicle was told by a resident who transacts business at the restaurant that last week the entire staff of the entity was tested but the results returned negative for all those who were tested. However, several new cases were recorded in the wider community at Aranaputa, an area which is popular for its peanuts and peanut butter.

Four new cases were recorded there following testing by the regional health authorities last week , while two cases were recorded at nearby Annai and one was listed at Wowetta, a village located some two miles away.

But while the cases are alarming to some residents, the social impact of the pandemic has resulted in mixed reactions within the community.
On Wednesday, a relative of a mother of five who works at the restaurant and who is among the trio from the entity who tested positive, related that her sister had little options regarding the welfare of her children.

She said that her sister is a mother of a three-year-old and three other school-aged children. The woman’s eldest child, age 21, is not in the area and reports are that the woman became worried after she was informed by medical officials in the area that she would have to be placed in quarantine at Lethem, some three hours away by bus.
“She has nobody to take care of her young children, so she does not have any idea what to do with the children,” the woman’s sister noted. She said that her sister is not displaying any symptoms of the virus and according to her, her sibling has been using various local medicinal remedies even before she was tested.
“Even before the test, she was using bush medicines and so because they had a first case there and since then she using her own medicine,” the woman said. She said her sister remains at home with her children.

While there are various reports from residents regarding the tracing of the very first cases recorded at Aranaputa several weeks ago, prominent Annai resident, Mike Williams, told the Guyana Chronicle that the rise in cases may have stemmed from illegal crossings made by Brazilians.
He said that a number of Brazilians have been passing through the villages near Annai, even though lockdown measures are in effect. He noted that many of them have been using the illegal border crossings to enter the Rupununi and according to him, they would usually transit Aranaputa daily while they head to the two popular restaurants there to buy food. “The Brazilians stop to buy food and who knows, handling money and so would be a way the COVID-19 can pass,” he said.
Williams said that residents are aware of the various health precautions which they should be adhering to and according to him many are trying their utmost to remain COVID-free.

To date, 41 positive coronavirus cases have been recorded in the Rupununi and while most have been seen as imported cases, residents are worried that community spread is taking place.

Meanwhile, at least one business person at another Hinterland location which is also a popular transit point for Brazilians and Venezuelans is worried about the recent spike in cases there.

Region Seven has seen a steep rise in positive COVID-19 cases and the Guyana Chronicle understands that at least 13 persons at an area called “Devil’s Hole”, a mining area in the region, have tested positive for the Coronavirus in recent days.

Earlier this week Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud reported that following tests conducted last weekend in Region Seven, a total of 15 cases were positive. Then, six new cases were recorded at another Region Seven location at the village of Arau, close to the Venezuelan border.

A resident who lives close to Devil’s Hole noted that the area is regarded as a major transshipment point for miners from various locations including Bartica as well as Brazilians and Venezuelans who sell fuel and other commodities there. Of 13 persons who tested positive at Devil’s Hole, seven are Venezuelans who reside in the area. They also frequent the two countries almost on a daily business.

Reports are that Brazilian nationals would also frequent the area using routes across in Venezuela to travel to and from Brazil. To date, more than 81 positive cases of the coronavirus have been recorded in Region Seven.

On Tuesday, the CMO noted that the number of positive cases are rising sharply in the two Hinterland regions and he called for more community action to combat the spread of the dreaded disease.