The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) says it is alarmed by the recent upsurge in the number of cases of Coronavirus in certain mining areas.
The GGDMA has recognised that most of the cases can be traced and are connected to illegal cross border activity at mining landings and areas where miners dwell.
These cases have been linked and traced to itinerant workers who are not directly involved or associated with mining or specific operations. It appears that the COVID-19 is being spread at our borders which remain porous because of lax enforcement of crossings and other border control measures, this must be addressed immediately by the authorities, the Association said.
“At mining landings, registered shops need to follow the COVID-19 guidelines and the curfew which is in place. The Association calls on all miners to have a strict adherence of the measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus and to avoid congregating unnecessarily at public spaces,” the GGDMA noted.
The Association noted also, the prevalence of illegal shops in mining areas that are operating under the radar of the authorities, and are not following the COVID-19 preventative measures.
“The GGDMA is against illegal shops which encourage mining workers to flaunt the COVID-19 guidelines and breach the curfew. These illegal shops must be removed. We call on the relevant authorities to assist in this regard,” it said.
Further, the GGDMA is calling for activities at landings and camps, which promote the spread of the disease and contribute to the disobedience of the curfew and COVID-19 guidelines to stop.
“Camp Managers must follow the guidelines and enforce the rules established by the MOH, PAHO and WHO to ensure the safety of mining camps. There can be no compromise to ensure the safety of all workers on the mining camp.
The GGDMA recognises the increasing spread of the virus and would like to be engaged by the COVID-19 Steering Committee on whatever decisions are being made for the gold and diamond mining industry of Guyana to help alleviate this disease. In the meantime, the Association continues to work with PAHO to develop a guideline for mining, this is expected to be completed by next week,” the Association said.
Guyana has confirmed 209 cases of the virus.
