Business chamber wants normal flights to Tobago

The Tobago Business Chamber says the Government cannot justify its decision to still have only three flights per day operating between Trinidad and Tobago.

“It appears palpably absurd that you are in a scenario where you are saying that the country’s international borders are open but yet your internal border between Trinidad an Tobago is restricted to three flights per day at reduced capacity,” the chamber’s president Martin George said on Saturday in a Whatsapp voice note.

“There appears to be no justification, no logic, no reason, no science, no statistics, which have been presented to support such a position and we call upon the Government to immediately take steps to bring the flights back to full number of flights.”

George said even though the Government may still want a reduced passenger capacity on the air bridge for the purpose of physical distancing “there is absolutely no reasoning, logic or justification that we have seen, to date, for their being only three flights per day.”

Saying many families may want to visit Tobago during the July-August vacation, George reiterated the chamber’s call for the Government to reopen beaches, bars and restaurants.

“How much longer must this scenario continue for? It is not good for the economy. It is not good for business. It is not good for the people of Tobago and Trinidad.”

He said most Trinidadians choose Tobago as their vacation destination.

“But what is the point of going to Tobago if it is that your beaches are closed, bars are closed. You can’t go to a restaurant and have dinner. It makes absolutely no sense.”

Saying Tobago must be fully reopened, George urged the Government to ramp up its marketing drive to encourage Tobagonians to be vaccinated.

“They need to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Tobago has reached that herd immunity for vaccinations in the shortest possible time so that every aspect of the Tobago economy can reopen as quickly as possible to facilitate the growth of business and the economy and to ensure that people have an avenue for some leisure activities.”

At the THA Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development’s covid19 media briefing on Thursday, line secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine announced that three new vaccination sites will be opened this week to boost the island’s vaccination programme.

At present, persons are being vaccinated at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort, Lowlands and the Canaan, Scarborough and Roxborough health centres.

As of yesterday, the division reported that 12,079 people had taken their first dose of either the Astra-Zeneca or Sinopharm vaccine while 9,348 have already received their second jab. There have been 35 deaths on the island.