With COVID-19 cases in Region Seven now recorded at over 200, Bartica Mayor Gifford Marshall says that mining should be halted in the hotspots within the region in order to curb transmission, especially since many of the cases in the town originated from gold mining areas.
During an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Marshall revealed that the number of COVID-19 cases in the region has exceeded 200, while Bartica, on its own, recorded five deaths to date with the possibility of that number increasing. Additionally, he said the relatives of people who have died in Bartica earlier this month are still awaiting their test results.
“Regrettably, we have persons who were swabbed and eventually died and we did not get back their results and the families… members are distraught and in some cases, explanations are not being given to them and all they are hearing is that they have to wait on results and that is the frustrating thing for the family because you have to deal with the death of loved one and now they have to go through the trauma of not knowing when you’re going to bury your loved one and how to coordinate,” he said.
Further, he said the fact that the latest COVID-19 victims were not able to receive their results while they were alive speaks volumes as it relates to the COVID-19 crisis in Bartica.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health reported that an additional two persons died at the Bartica Regional Hospital as a result of COVID-19. According to Marshall, the two person died over the weekend while awaiting their test results. Both persons were residents of the town.
Marshall stated that the COVID-19 situation in the town is a cause for concern especially since the small town has recorded more COVID-19 related deaths than some Caribbean countries. He stated that many cases in the town resulted from people travelling from the town to COVID-19 hotspots, most of which are gold mining areas, and then returning after contracting the disease, which they would spread to their families and friends.
He added that the municipality is of the view that if the residents adhere to the public health advisories, they are confident that it will assist in flattening the curve. Unfortunately, he said, many are not complying with those regulations and there are a lot of persons who think that business can continue as per normal since mining operations in the region were restarted by the Ministry of Health. “As a result, they are frequenting the interior as regularly as they used to,” he noted.
Marshall said that he paid keen attention to the President Irfaan Ali’s address to the nation and believes that he means well. However, he added, he is concerned with the emphasis that is being placed on the economy and the restarting of mining operations and businesses. “We are in a pandemic and I think the emphasis here should be that businesses, [and] mining companies must make the necessary adjustments to ensure not only themselves but the entire community and the region at large remain safe. We must not have the mentality that we can fight this pandemic and still make a dollar at the same time. I do not think it will work,” he said.
‘Put politics aside’
According to Marshall, the town council had an extensive discussion and agreed that nobody should be dealing with the pandemic from a political perspective. He said that under the former government, the region went through a similar experience and the steps that were taken then did nothing to stop the spread of the virus. Instead, it has increased and even while a lockdown was instituted on the region almost a week ago, he said, people within the community are still moving about. “The minister needs to focus on supporting communities, regions and municipalities. The back and forth with what the previous administration did and what they are doing is not helping us because presently we have in excess of 200 cases,” he said.
“We need to put politics aside and deal with the pandemic from a holistic point of view, an objective point of view and ensure that our people remain safe, ensure that we enforce the regulations and I am not in agreement of closing of mining and business 100% but wherever there is a hotspots we must stop mining in those areas and quarantine those individuals in those spots because once mining continues there is need for food supplies, fuel and other services and the innocent will pay for the guilty,” he added.
He said that he is very worried about the direction the town and, by extension, the region is heading towards, while expressing his hurt for the Bartica lives that were lost as a result of persons not adhering to measures and restrictions.
The situation, he said, not only demands a regional or municipal effort but a national effort. He noted that regional officials were caught by surprise when the announcement was made last Friday regarding the lockdown of the region and the restarting of mining activities. He said considering that they were on the ground, it was only fair if they were consulted so they can speak on the situation.
Nevertheless, he added, they are committed to supporting that order.
However, he said, if the lockdown measures were intended to contain the spread of COVID-19, the restarting of mining operations certainly do not reflect that. “Those who live here know that; that is not possible and they need to explain to us how it will really work. In a nutshell, we are distraught with our numbers. We know where the problems is—in the mining area and persons frequenting those hotspots,” he added.
Marshall said that given the situation in the region, the relevant authorities must recognize that it is critical to make the “tough decisions” immediately if they want to flatten the curve. However, he added, not only the government have to make tough decisions but families and other officials. He says he knows that many persons were in need of food supplies in the region and the new government was quick to respond and that is one thing that they are commending.
