[UPDATED] CAL passenger tests positive for covid19 in Guyana, 13 crew in self-quarantine

The Guyanese national who tested positive for covid19 and died on Wednesday was a passenger on Caribbean Airlines on March 7, originating in New York travelling to Guyana via Piarco International Airport in Trinidad.

The passenger, CAL said in a statement on Thursday, travelled on March 7 on flight BW 521, from the John F Kennedy International Airport in New York to Piarco International Airport, Trinidad in transit (on the same day) and on to BW 526 to Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana. The person subsequently tested positive for covid19 at a public health facility in Guyana. On Wednesday, Guyana's president David Granger confirmed the diagnosis that a 52-year-old female, who recently travelled from the US, died on March 10 after being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital on March 10, for severe respiratory illness.

"Tests were conducted with one returning positive for the covid19. Other examinations carried out by the doctor before the patient died showed she had uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension case," Guyana's Department of Public Information said in a statement Wednesday.

The virus is making its way slowly through the region. So far, though, most if not all of the reported cases have been "imported" – people who arrived in the country from foreign countries – rather than person to person community wide infections. Trinidad and Tobago announced its first official case on Thursday, while Jamaica confirmed its second case on Wednesday. In the wider Caribbean, Cuba reported three cases, Italian tourists, on Wednesday, with four in total; the Dominican Republic has five. St Martin, St Barthelemy and St Vincent and the Grenadines all have one reported case, and Martinique has three.

CAL communications manager Dionne Ligoure told Newsday that the airline has a comprehensive emergency response and the airline operations are working to ensure it activates contingencies for any impact on flights. Ligoure noted that there have been cancellations, and it's something the airline is closely monitoring.

These complications come right after the airline announced it was back in the black.

"We had a breakout year in 2018 and maintained that financial stability in 2019. Our strategic plan has been on track so the airline is in a stable place but we would be naïve not to anticipate some level of impact on performance resulting from effects of covid, especially economic effects."

In its statement, CAL said the safety, security and good health of its customers and employees is its highest priority, and when the information on the passenger was received, immediate action was taken. The airline said public health authorities have advised that, as a precaution, the 13 crew members associated with the flights and placed in self-quarantine for 14 days.

"This was done, and the employees will be assessed and monitored in keeping with the directives from the Ministry of Health."

People who may have possibly have been affected will be contacted by public health authorities, CAL said.

Ligoure was not sure exactly how many people exactly were on the flights, but it was fewer than 100.

CAL's Boeing 737s used for international runs have a capacity of 150. The airline said its aircraft are cleaned daily at all ports in keeping with industry standards. Further, in this instance additional sanitisation processes were used as outlined by the regulatory authorities.

"The airline remains in close contact with the public health authorities and its operations team has activated contingencies for any impact on its flights. Caribbean Airlines assures all stakeholders that it continues to actively monitor and respond to the evolving covid19 issue to ensure the safety and good health of its customers and employees."