Although the Health Department in Region One (Barima-Waini) established several screening sites at various ports of entry into Mabaruma, this has not been successful, hence the recent increase of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the sub-district, the Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley has said.
During a telephone interview with Stabroek News, Ashley noted that Mabaruma has recorded a total of 11 COVID-19 cases, while the Moruca sub-district has recorded 82 cases inclusive of one death and six recoveries.
Mabaruma has also recorded a recovery so there are a total of 10 active cases in the sub-district.
The Mayor, Chris Phang, had revealed that the first case was recorded in April. The patient had contracted the disease while in Georgetown. The second case was recorded last month. The patient, who is a teacher, had travelled from the Moruca sub-district to Mabaruma. A number of persons were placed in quarantine as a result and a few of the teacher’s relatives later tested positive for the disease.
According to Ashley, although he is part of the Regional COVID-19 Task Force, his and the Mayor’s concerns were never acknowledged so the Mayor and Town Council has tried to implement whatever measures it could in and around the area.
He explained that the Regional Chairman’s office had recommended to the task force that stricter travel restrictions be put in place and a screening site should be set up at the Aruka River, where all boats will have pass in order to get to the Kumaka waterfront in the area. However, he said those recommendations were not considered by the Regional Task Force, so the Mayor and Town Council did what they could to protect the town with limited resources.
Additionally, he said, now that COVID-19 cases are increasing in the area, he hopes that the Regional Task Force will consider the recommendation. He then applauded the efforts of health care workers in the region but added that Mabaruma doesn’t have the facilities or resources to deal with a possible outbreak, especially given that many people are already affected by the restrictions implemented by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). “The health care professionals in the region are working tirelessly but in Mabaruma we do not have the facilities, resources and infrastructure to deal with any outbreak,” Ashley stressed.
“However, we have been engaging with the people telling them to take the necessary precautions and so forth. We have been doing extensive distribution of masks at market day at Kumaka. We are providing mask and ensuring that they wear those masks. We are also do educational sessions on social media and also when we get into communities, we tell them the importance of washing hands and sanitizing hands and only go out when it is absolutely necessary. I can see that many people in Mabaruma are adhering to wearing masks and regularly washing and sanitizing their hands and the collaboration with the mayor we have put up hand washing facilities and running water at various areas,” he added.
He also disclosed that persons have still been gathering at various bars in the town. “When these places are open, people are still gathering in numbers, which is a recipe for COVID-19,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ashley revealed that given the increase in COVID-19 cases, he recommended that a partial lockdown be instituted. He said, although he had initially recommended a total lockdown, he does not want what happened in Moruca, referring to the protest recently held, to happen in Mabaruma. He stated that if a lockdown is to be instituted in the town, there should be a clear strategy of how persons are going to be assisted, especially since many persons rely on day-to-day financial earning in the area.
