Despite various authorities claiming that the majority of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the South Central Rupununi are imported, the Toshao of Potarinau, Carl Albert says that this is not so and disclosed that the cases in the community and in one of its satellite villages are the result of one individual who crossed the Guyana/Brazil border.
To date, according to the toshao, Potarinau has recorded 16 cases of the coronavirus while its satellite villages, Katuur and Baitoon have both recorded two cases.
Potarinau, which has a population of at least 613 persons, is considered one of the new COVID-19 hotspots in the country and has the highest number of known coronavirus cases within the Upper Takutu, Upper Essequibo Region (Region Nine). Other communities that have recorded cases in Region Nine are Shulinab, Sand Creek, and Quiko, from the South Central Rupununi along with Annai, Aranaputa, and Wowetta, from the North Rupununi.
Region Nine has a total of at least 41 COVID-19 cases, inclusive of one death and four recoveries.
During an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Albert disclosed that the COVID-19 cases in Potarinau and Katuur are linked to one person who travelled from Potarinau to a community in Brazil called Pium. He later returned via an illegal crossing at Katuur and subsequently went to visit his grandparents, who live at a ranch about 24 kilometers from Katuur, but close to the Guyana/ Brazil border.
Albert revealed that while the person was at the ranch, the two elderly persons contracted the disease from him. Not knowing that they were COVID-19 positive, Albert added, the elderly couple travelled to Potarinau, where they came into contact with numerous persons, leading to the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases.
He further disclosed that the elderly couple soon developed signs and symptoms of the disease and this was reported to the community health worker. Patient zero was brought for screening and due to the symptoms, he was displaying, was tested. The elderly couple was also tested and it was shown that they both had COVID-19.
The Toshao emphasised that the communities he is in charge of have reported no instances where persons have encouraged their relatives to return from Brazil saying, “the cases that we have in the villages are not persons coming home from Brazil. These are cases who had contact with the first two cases that we had. The young man went across to Pium, then returned and got sick and the individual went to his grandmother’s and that is how this spread when the two elders came to the villages and contact was made by the relatives so to say the least that relatives from the village council [spread the coronavirus], that was not the case.”
Albert said that most of the COVID-19 patients from the communities of Potarinau, Katuur and Baitoon are elderly persons with only one young patient – a 14-year-old girl. In addition, a health worker from Katuur has tested positive for the disease,
Meanwhile, he noted that the COVID-19 cases in Baitoon are also persons who travelled to Puim. He said the two persons from Baitoon admitted that they had travelled to the Brazilian community to visit their relatives and recently returned.
In this regard, the Toshao informed that they are working with the Puim village council to ensure that those activities are stopped.
However, he noted, residents are now realising the severity of the situation especially since two persons from Potarinau may have died from the disease. He said that the families of those men were quarantined as a precautionary measure, adding that a relative of one of the deceased men is among the persons who are infected with COVID-19.
The village council, he said, is expecting an increase in COVID-19 cases given the number of cases that the community has recorded thus far.
Monitored
Meanwhile, Albert disclosed that their side of the Guyana/Brazil border is not currently being monitored due to the lack of transportation and fuel.
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Guyana, Albert said, the Potarinau village council has been doing its best to monitor and patrol the Guyana/Brazil border. In fact, he said, they not only patrol the border close to their community but monitor the borderline from the community of Parikwarinao to Sawariwau despite the lack of financial resources and assistance from relevant Government authorities.
“We as a village council took it as our duty to patrol and monitor these crossing numerous times, felling trees to prevent people from crossing and we have had conversations with Pium village council and we have oral agreements stating that we are not allowing nobody to come across this side and vice versa and we all agreed but still people are using these crossing at nights because we have limited resources to look at these crossings at nights and I think this is when the individual [patient zero] crossed over to Brazil, in the night,” he added.
He added that the outbreak of COVID-19 in the community is very disheartening especially since they have taken their own initiatives and resources to patrol almost the entire borderline.
Albert noted that they have received some support from the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) but that was not enough. In addition, he acknowledged that the Guyana Police Force had given them fuel once but that didn’t last long either.
Further, he said, the persons who patrol the border are doing so voluntarily, adding that sometimes, he would take these trips himself, just to ensure that the communities are protected.
He added that due to the condition of the paths leading to the border, transportation had become problematic since an ATV is now needed to access the borderline.
A request was made through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs for an ATV but so far they have not responded to his request. “We have tried our best but we are not going to give up because we are getting support from others [the residents within the community] but some are not truly with it but they have seen what is happening in the village with the deaths and the rising number of cases in the village and the ATV would be vital for the patrolling of the border,” he said.
He further noted that they have not received any support from the Region or other Government officials, adding that the SRDC is the only organisation that has tried to educate the people and been assisting them with food, fuel, sanitizing supplies, and masks.
He noted that since the outbreak, residents are not allowed to go beyond the gate and checkpoint established at the entrance of the community. Additionally, he said, only a driver and a porter are allowed to get food supplies from Lethem as the community is currently on lockdown. Further, the 6pm to 6am curfew is still in effect and will remain so until the disease is contained.
Albert also informed that contact tracing in Katuur and Baitoon is scheduled to commence today. The population currently consists of 613 with 120 households.
