Young: Canadian visitor did not contract coronavirus in TT

National Security Minister and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young said it was highly unlikely that a visitor diagnosed with the covid19 virus contracted it while visiting TT.

Responding to questions on the flight patterns of the person, Young said he along with Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Roshan Parasram took note of the flight patterns of the person who reportedly travelled from TT to Panama which has been considered a hotspot for the disease by the Ministry of Health.

"The CMO reached out to the necessary health officials in Canada and the person who was in TT also stopped in a number of places, including that hub of Panama.

"When Minister (Terrence) Deyalsingh and I met with his technocrats three weeks ago we red-flagged at that stage certain hubs and Panama is the closest international hub to us with tens of thousands of persons coming in and getting connecting flights to travel all over."

Young said from Panama, the traveller took another adjoining flight in Colorado in the US before reaching their final destination in Canada.

"It was not a case that came from TT. There are instances where we have been contact tracking, there are people who would have been travelling and airlines are being affected."

On Tuesday, Canadian chief medical Officer Dr Deena Hackshaw announced one of seven new cases of the covid19 in the Alberta province, had travelled from Trinidad and Tobago.

On Tuesday Panama confirmed seven new cases of the disease bringing the toll to 14, with one confirmed death.

One day later it was reported that Panama's government ordered the temporary closure of schools to try and contain the spread of the virus.