Aishalton on one-month lockdown

…as multiple COVID cases rock South Rupununi village 

A one-month lockdown with a 6 pm to 6 am curfew has been implemented at the Deep South Rupununi village of Aishalton on Wednesday after 9 cases of the COVID-19 pandemic were recorded there.

In addition , a suspected death was also recorded on Thursday and relatives of the elderly victim are said to be in quarantine after they  tested positive for the virus. There are reports that multiple persons who usually attend a Christian church in the village are among the positive cases. The recorded cases are said to be the first at the village.

On Thursday morning, Simon Marcello, who was said to be in his 90s, passed away and reports are at least three of his relatives are among the positive cases.

Reports are that that five households have been affected by the pandemic and following contact tracing , more than 50 persons have been identified for isolation.

According to a notice published by the village’s Facebook page ,only essential services into the village will be accommodated and  villagers from Lethem and/or Georgetown who wish to travel to the village  will have to quarantine in their homes for a given period.

Of particular importance is the issue of persons travelling from Brazil, the epicentre of the pandemic in Latin America. According to the village, no one from Brazil will be allowed to enter the area.Persons in the village suspect a strain from the neighbouring country may be in their community.

According to the Ministry of Health, 451 confirmed cases of the pandemic have been recorded in Region Nine. To date 262 persons in Guyana have died from complications attributed to the virus and 11, 374 total cases have been recorded here.