Govt blocks entry to travellers from China

AS part of measures to interrupt transmission of the coronavirus, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared an international emergency, TT will be imposing a two-week travel restriction on people coming from China. The restriction was announced on the same day the WHO advised against travel restrictions.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh announced the plan Thursday during the post-Cabinet media conference held at the Diplomatic Centre, Port of Spain.

He said Cabinet had accepted a suggestion and, once the necessary legal provisions are put in place, people currently living in China or visiting China will not be allowed entry to TT for 14 days after leaving China.

"So if you left China tomorrow on the 1st you will not be allowed entry to TT until the 14th of February regardless of nationality."

He explained that 14 days is the incubation period of the virus. He said there is precedent to the move with Ebola outbreak (in 2014) when visa restrictions were implemented for five countries.

Deyalsingh said for the new travel restriction the Attorney General has to bring a legal notice to Parliament which will be the subject of negative resolution and therefore not require Opposition support.

He said certain countries have taken very serious action namely Hong Kong which has shut off its connections to mainland China by air, rail and ship and Russia has closed its land border with China which is between 2,000 to 4,000 miles. He said China had imposed travel restrictions on its own populations and countries and airlines (British Airways and Lufthansa German Airlines) have cancelled flights in and out of China.

"Even if you wanted to get out of China now you could not get out very, very easily."

At a meeting Thursday WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus advised against "unwanted travel and trade restrictions so that disruption is kept to a minimum."

Asked by Newsday following the post-Cabinet briefing if TT's travel restriction was in contravention of this recommendation Deyalsingh reiterated that each country has to evaluate its risk profile and take all necessary steps

"If Russia can close its border and Hong Kong can close border we are entitled to take all necessary steps to protect our citizens."

He said the statement by director-general was a suggestion and it does not carry the force of law, and he added that even China was restricting its own people.

The thermal screening implemented by TT was also against the advice of WHO and the Pan American Health Organisation. At the briefing Deyalsingh reported that 256 flights and 18,588 passengers and crew have been thermal screened to date at the Piarco International Airport. Asked about those screened at the ANR Robinson International Airport Deyalsingh said he would have to get those figures from the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).

He said the global community has been coping with the issue of the coronavirus after the initial outbreak in the Wuhan district, Hubei Province, China. He reported the virus is present in 22 countries, there are 7,800 confirmed cases to date with 170 deaths. He explained the mortality rate of the coronavirus so far is about 2.4 per cent or for every 100 people who get it roughly 2.4 will die. He compared it with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) which hit the global community in 2002 and had a mortality rate of ten per cent.

Asked if the travel restrictions woul impact Chinese firms in Trinidad, including the one working on the Curepe Interchange project, Deyalsingh said those in Trinidad would continue their work. He added the main aim was to protect citizens and this was more important than any minor interuption of work or possible delays.

Asked about the impact on Carnival he pointed out that the US which has a population of more than 300 million had five confirmed cases and England had less than five cases. He said that these two countries were the major Carnival markets and it was a small scale being dealt with.

"I don't see any major threats. Carnival is on."

On Public Services Association president Watson Duke call for protective equipment for customs workers National Security Minister Stuart Young said he will be reaching out to the Immgration Division and provided them with whatever equipment they need.