Bartica another ticking time bomb

May 28, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

If the caption, “Bartica buckles down as first COVID-19 case hits home” (KN May 25) is accurate, then that is encouraging news by virtue of one being such a tiny number. The problem is that it may not be so accurate, through either being unknowingly understated, or because it is so by purpose. Whichever way or one that it is, this is not comforting for residents of that community nor should it be well-received at the wider national level.
By way of background, a short recitation is appropriate. There are some circumstances that are part of the norm in the Bartica community, which need to be placed on the table right upfront for full consideration, and for letting them lead to wherever is found reasonable, if not wise. First, Bartica is a township that serves as a kind of hub, crossroad, jumping off point, and intersection to multiple destinations. It is a place of people coming from the capital city for forward progress to the deep hinterlands and vice versa; area residents are part of the crowd on the move to and from the more distant mining centres. The point is that there is significant human traffic.
Second, Aranka is another ‘bright spot’ where many people congregate before going to Bartica or when coming from there. It is a way station that feeds into the Bartica community, and who knows to where else, where there is significant human contact, both domestic and foreign.
Third, the Bartica community has experienced an uptick of dozens of business ladies (mainly from a foreign neighbour under siege) who are in the companionship trade. They are also peripatetic since that means lesser visibility and greater ease with which to conduct their unique operations. In aggregate, this is whole lot of people traffic with the one constant being the settled Bartica community. It is a vulnerable one.
Because of the foregoing convergences, there is some skepticism-much, in fact-that there is only one confirmed case of the dreaded COVID-19 virus at this time. It simply conflicts sharply with commonsense. It is widely accepted that the foreign ladies have enjoyed much patronage, and whose customers have moved on to different points both inside and outside of the community in close proximity to many others. Some residents are concerned; in fact, they are fearful, since they are asking themselves two questions: What are they not being told? And, what is the real story of the numbers? They do not know what they do not know; there is the suspicion that there is withholding of information.
But it is also alarming on another front, a wider one. That would be the national. It was because all roads tier up to the national that so much space was occupied to lay out the continual movement of citizens and others to, from, and through Bartica. In other words, Bartica could be a seedbed and catapult from which the coronavirus pandemic spreads with contagion effect in this country. The last thing that I would want to be seen as is an alarmist. But, in the same vein, I have repeatedly articulated my doubts as to the accuracy of what is disseminated to the public, both in terms of numbers, as well as relative to the timing of such releases; and due to what I think happen to be the limited nature of our pandemic response (defense) capabilities.
I would like to be wrong on this. I hope that I am wrong in every facet of my concerns. But I believe that many of the COVID-19 truths are still not being shared with Guyanese citizens. They want to know. I want to know. It is the least that we can expect, and that is rightfully due, from our leaders. I trust that the right things are being done. And if not, they will occur going forward with the swiftest of movements and the cleanest of intentions. Those would include putting the health, safety, and wellbeing of the nation before any and every other consideration. Those must be first, and that is non-negotiable.

Sincerely,
GHK Lall

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