Young: No decision on extending covid19 shutdown

NATIONAL Security Minister Stuart Young has said there is no final decision yet on whether the current shutdown will be extended.

He was speaking on Monday morning at a virtual media conference at the Health Ministry, Port of Spain.

Young reiterated that the situation was very fluid.

"We are making the decisions based on the advice that we get. As soon as we believe is necessary."

He said the situation continued to be monitored but all decisions are based on the advice of the medical experts.

"We are looking at April 15. But nothing is written in stone."

Young said he has responded to a TT national in Suriname who wants to return to this country.

Ashmeed Syne applied through his attorneys for TT's borders to be reopened so he could return home.

Young had also previously told Lawrence Balkaran, another Trinidadian stranded in Suriname, to write to him setting out reasons why he should be allowed back into TT.

This country's borders were closed on March 23 because of the covid19 threat.

During the media conference Young was asked if he was in contact with nationals in Barbados, Venezuela and Suriname.

Young replied he was not personally in touch with them. He said one person in Suriname has retained attorneys and wrote to him (he did not specify whether it was Syne or Balkaran) and he has responded to the attorneys "telling them I would consider an application for exemption." This response was sent on Saturday.

"I have passed it on to the lawyers and the Ministry of Health medical experts and I have also asked for certain information. We will continue to deal with these cases on a case-by-case basis."

He reiterated that the TT Embassy in Caracas has been in contact with nationals in Venezuela and the situation continued to be monitored.