Police allowed Cubans in quarantine to visit supermarkets, liquor stores

Regional Chairman for Region Six, David Armogan has revealed that Cubans who entered Guyana illegally within the last two weeks were being allowed to leave the quarantine facility at Rose Hall, East Canje Berbice to shop at supermarkets and liquor stores.

He said the Police ranks who were guarding the facility allowed the foreign nationals to leave.

The Regional Chairman said he held a meeting with the Region’s New Commander Senior Superintendent Linden Isles on Monday to increase security at the location.

“I had to call the Commander [Monday] because the Police were in cohort with some of these Cubans at Rose Hall and allowing them to leave during the course of the day,” the Regional Chairman stated.

Five of the 13 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Region are Cubans. Two weeks ago the first batch of Cubans entered the country illegally via the backtrack route from Suriname. At the weekend, an additional 11 Cuban nationals were arrested on at two different locations in Region Six.

Nine of them were intercepted at the Berbice River Bridge while two others were arrested in the Number 63 beach area on the Corentyne.

The News Room understands that an intelligence-led operation by a senior officer resulted in the interception of the route 40 minibus bearing number plate BSS 8772.

The vehicle was stopped and searched when the nine Cubans were discovered along with the driver and the conductor.

The authorities in the Region have been challenged with illegal crossing of migrants since Guyana closed its borders in March.

As such, the Health and Police authorities will be setting up a new screening point at No.52 Village on the Corentyne and will increase the hours of operation at the Berbice Bridge screening point in an effort to curb the illegal entry of migrants.

“Most of these foreign nationals do not leave for Georgetown immediately; they are usually lurking around at Skeldon or surrounding areas and put many others at risk which would lead to community spreading. We will try to get a road block at #52 village with police and medical staff to be operations 24 hours to screen and identify persons,” the Regional Chairman said.