Over 100 North Rupununi residents tested, vaccinated
An Iwokrama staffer receiving her vaccine from a member of the MoH outreach team at the Iwokrama River Lodge, Kurupukari, Essequibo River
An Iwokrama staffer receiving her vaccine from a member of the MoH outreach team at the Iwokrama River Lodge, Kurupukari, Essequibo River

— following collaboration between Iwokrama, Health Ministry and the National COVID-19 Task Force

OVER 100 residents of Region Nine have benefitted from COVID-19 testing and vaccination services through collaboration between the Iwokrama International Centre, the Ministry of Health and the National COVID-19 Task Force. The tests and first dose of vaccine were recently administered from three locations in the Iwokrama Forest, namely the Iwokrama River Lodge, Iwokrama Mill-site and Fair View village. In December 2020, Iwokrama had reopened its tourism business which was closed since March 2020 and implemented a comprehensive Hygiene and Health Protocol, which was recently updated to include vaccination for all its staff. This, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Iwokrama, Dane Gobin said would help provide more comfort to visitors to the Iwokrama Forest. Fairview’s recently elected Toshao Bradford Allicock, said he was pleased that the Health Ministry provided the outreach services as it made it convenient for community members to access these services in an area where transport costs were expensive.

Residents of Fair View Village waiting to be tested and to receive their vaccine during the joint recent Iwokrama / MoH medical outreach exercise to the village

He encouraged other communities not to listen to the rumours questioning safety of the vaccine and to take advantage of similar outreach services, so that all community residents could be protected from the pandemic. Gobin noted that Iwokrama was very pleased to partner with the Health Ministry to support this exercise. He noted that Iwokrama’s staff from several locations in the forest, 90 per cent of whom come from the 21 communities of the North Rupununi, also benefitted from this exercise as did the staff of MMC who operate the ferry crossing at Kurupukari. The CEO also reminded all visitors to the Iwokrama Forest that they must provide a negative antigen or PCR test (not antibody test) before visiting the forest. Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony noted that the ministry is pleased to have collaborated with Iwokrama to host the mass testing and vaccination outreach. He reminded residents that everyone has his/her part to play in flattening the curve and events such as these are always welcome. While it is important to know one’s status, the most important key to ending this pandemic is vaccination. Dr Anthony is therefore calling on all business entities to encourage vaccination among their staffers while they continue to support government’s effort in attaining herd immunity.

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