Since the emergency lockdown measures were implemented in the Moruca sub-district, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak seems to be stabilising in the area although many persons are not taking advantage of a mobile testing unit, Amerindian People’s Association (APA) Project Coordinator Graham Atkinson has said.
During an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Atkinson said that lockdown measures seem to be working considering that since the measures were imposed there were only 11 new cases of COVID-19 recorded.
He said he felt that it was very important that movement was restricted and that, coupled with the vigorous public awareness campaign that the APA has been conducting over the last three weeks, there has been an impact on the people.
The Moruca sub-district has recorded 85 cases of COVID-19 thus far, with 45 persons having recovered. The area has also recorded one death, that of 59-year-old Vincent Torres, who died in May at the Kumaka District Hospital after developing severe symptoms of the disease. Following Torres’ death, the number of COVID-19 cases rose rapidly.
Atkinson also stated that while many persons did not believe COVID-19 was real initially, many have come around and are wearing masks in public and ensuring that they are sanitising their hands regularly. He noted that there are still a few persons who are not adhering to some of the measures that were implemented but added that the police are doing their jobs in ensuring that they do.
He added that there might be a few persons that still do not believe in the disease and this is attributed to the political narrative that has been circulating in the area. “My experience being on the ground, helping with the public awareness campaign, [is that] there was a narrative perpetuated by a political party that would’ve ignited that [idea], ‘it don’t exist.’ Our job was made difficult so we have to counteract that,” he said.
Further, he stated that many persons are now aware of what the COVID-19 symptoms are and were encouraged to get tested. However, the number of persons showing up to get tested is not what the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) was expecting, Atkinson said. Meanwhile, in Mabaruma, Mayor Chris Phang revealed that the COVID-19 cases haven’t increased in the last two weeks. The number of cases in the town remains at 11. He said, several persons who had tested positive in the past three weeks have recovered. “We are very thankful for that,” Phang said, although at the time he spoke to Stabroek News he did not know the exact number of persons who had recovered. Phang noted that the Regional Task Force was considering a lockdown but that was dependent on the rise of COVID-19 cases. “If it had any more positive cases then we would’ve gone in that direction and there were none so we are thankful for that,” he stated.
However, he added, the Mayor and Town Council are continuing their efforts to sensitise persons and make them understand that the disease is a serious threat. He disclosed that they recently distributed 900 masks to persons in Kumaka, which is the commercial zone for the Mabaruma sub-district.
He noted that many persons are getting accustomed to wearing masks and are doing so whenever they are in public. However, social distancing remains an issue because, according to Phang, many persons can’t seem to keep their distance from each other. “We are encouraging them as much as we can to try and practice all the necessary precautions,” he said.
