GGDMA issues regulations for small and medium scale operations

Jul 16, 2020 News

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), yesterday announced the released guidelines for the operation of small and medium scale mining during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The guidelines listed in the document, caters for the screening of miners before and after entering the interior as well as Indigenous communities, implementations of travel restrictions in abeyance with social distancing regulations as well as the proper management of employees.
The document which aims to provide support to both small and medium scale mining operations was tailored by the GGDMA, to suit the local mining industry, taking into consideration the practicality of its implementations.
The GGDMA highlighted that as a necessity, camp managers will be required to conduct the necessary screening protocols upon the hiring and dispatching of pork knockers to mining camps, including the completion of a health assessment checklist to ascertain the miner’s state of health. Additionally, miners will be required to provide their address and contact information for documentation purposes.
The document further stipulates that miners wishing to travel to interior locations for work must visit the nearest health facility and request a prescription for a malaria preventative drug (such as chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine) in order to reduce the chances of contracting malaria which exhibits similar symptoms (such as fever and body aches) of Covid-19 according to the World Health Organization. Added to that, the GGDMA specified travel restrictions such as the limiting of persons traveling in vehicles to ensure the adherence to the guidelines set out by MoPH.
The document further instructs that each camp should be provided with at least one medical temperature gun to test all personnel before they enter the camp or leave the camp for the worksite on a daily basis as well as the wearing of facemasks at all times.
Moreover, miners are also encouraged to desist from entering any Amerindian village and in the event where it is necessary, consent must first be given by the Toshao or village leader.
Finally, mining operators are required to equip mining camps with one or more medical thermal guns to test personnel temperature and the implementation of isolation camp should persons demonstrate signs and symptoms of the virus.
In June, the Ministry of Public Health along with the National COVID-19 Taskforce proposed the shutting down of mining operations in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 after a number of positive cases emerged from mining camps in Region seven and one.
Consequently, MoPH announced earlier this month that “all mining operations shall cease” in Moruca in Region One, and Aranka/Arangoy Landing in Region Seven, both of which have accounted for the bulk of COVID-19 cases in the country to date.

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