10 drivers, passengers arrested in Berbice for not wearing face masks

As the Government ramps up efforts countrywide to enforce the COVID-19 guidelines in order to ensure compliance, several drivers and passengers in public vehicles were arrested by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in Region Six (East Berbice Corentyne) for failing to wear their masks.
The Police said ranks at Springlands conducted a COVID-19 face mask exercise on the Springlands Public Road, targeting recalcitrant hire car drivers and passengers.
It was during that exercise that 10 persons were arrested.
On Monday last, Police in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) arrested a total of 15 persons for failure to wear a face mask in public.
The arrests came as ranks within the region carried out an enforcement exercise to ensure the stipulated COVID-19 measures and protocols were implemented.
Additionally, several shops and liquor restaurants were also closed in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines, and Police said individuals were also found in different locations without masks.
They were later arrested and placed on $5000 bail each.
The Ministry of Health continues to advise that persons adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines so that Guyana and the rest world will be able to win the fight against the deadly virus.
Health experts have also advised that face masks are critical to slowing the spread of the coronavirus and ending the pandemic.
As of Saturday, Guyana has recorded 14,203 confirmed COVID-19 cases of which 1808 are currently active. The country’s death toll from the pandemic has gone up to 323 after the Health Ministry confirmed nine new deaths in recent weeks – three were from Friday and the other six deaths were recorded between April 25 to May 6.