IN an attempt to curb the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 virus, a few local communities instituted community-wide lockdowns which have been able to keep residents and the wider population safer. Several weeks ago, there was an outbreak of cases in Kwebanna, a small satellite community with a population of less than 1,000 located in the Moruca sub-district, Region One. In response to that outbreak, the village was placed on a three-week lockdown, during which movement in and out of the village was restricted. On Sunday, several weeks after the restrictions were lifted, Toshao of Kwebanna and Vice-Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Paul Pierre, told the Guyana Chronicle that the community has been recovering and rebounding. “Since after the three weeks’ lockdown, we haven’t had any more positive cases, so we’re almost back to normal but still abiding with the protocols and measures in place,” he said, via a telephone interview.

With a reduction in the spread of COVID-19, and the removal of the restrictions, members of the community have been able to return to their main source of livelihood– logging. Pierre explained that the residents could even return to work at the village sawmill, where the numerous “Christmas orders” for timber could be fulfilled. But the community has not let down its guard. The Toshao emphasised that there are monitoring systems, such as temperature checks, that are readily employed to ensure that potentially infected persons are readily detected. This, he said, is especially important for the individuals who do not reside within the community. “We keep hearing about a second wave and some third wave and you can never tell what’s going to happen. We don’t want a situation like what we had before,” he lamented. In St. Cuthbert’s Mission, a 14-day lockdown was instituted from November 7, 2020, after several teachers and healthcare workers tested positive for the deadly virus. The community began testing residents on November 1, when one member, who travelled out of the community, was tested positive.

While on lockdown, the personnel from the Ministry of Health (MoH) set up a testing centre in the village benab and conducted tests daily. As the restrictions were gradually relaxed to allow essential travel, individuals were required to submit their negative test results first. That lockdown has since been lifted and Toshao, Beverly Clenkian, told this newspaper that the community has been recovering well. “We still have our gate and the men at the checkpoint; you have to produce a medical if you want to come in the village and before you leave the village, you have to get a clearance,” she said. Additionally, residents are still able to access testing services at the community’s youth centre and the village council has been securing donations for persons who have been unable to work. With a growing number of cases in the indigenous communities of Orealla and Siparuta, in East Berbice, Corentyne, the village council made the decision to lockdown the villages. According to Toshoa, Carl Peneux, the decision was taken to shut down the villages for two weeks and let the law enforcement officials deal with residents who refuse to adhere to the numerous warnings to adhere to the gazetted COVID-19 guidelines.

He later warned that if COVID-19 guidelines are not followed, and residents do not cooperate with the measures, a decision to extend the lockdown by another week will be taken. At the end of November, 62 positive cases were recorded in Siparuta while Orealla recorded 33 positive cases. On Sunday, in an interview with this newspaper, he related that there was only one active case in Orealla, from an asymptomatic patient who will be cleared on Monday. And In Siparuta, there are another few cases. Given these numbers, the toshao related that the lockdown in both Orealla and Siparuta could be lifted sometime this week. “The lockdown was effective and what made it more effective was the assistance we got from the Minister of Health through the team of doctors who were here to do contact tracing during the lockdown and, of course, with the cooperation from the residents,” Peneux said. Though the communities have been able to control the spread, the Toshao said that the restrictions on travel by boat to Corriverton may continue, and the gate between Orella and Siparuta will be continuously monitored.