Trinis in Barbados may face more quarantine home

When the 33 Trinis stranded in Barbados return home, the Chief Medical Officer will decide whether they will be placed in mandatory quarantine or will be asked to self-quarantine at home. The group finished the mandatory self-quaratine initiated by the Barbados government after they landed in that country on March 23, after the TT government closed its borders.

At the virtual media conference on Friday, National Security Minister Stuart Young gave these details and said Government never said he had been in communication with the group through its lawyer.

“When we announced the closure of borders they had not yet begun their movement back to Trinidad. Prior to boarding the flight from London to Barbados, they knew our borders were closed.

“We spoke to the government of Barbados about our closed borders. The government of Barbados told us they had a mandatory 14-day quarantine. We provided covid19 testing kits from our quota to Barbados. We have kept in touch with Barbados throughout the period,” Young said.

As to the application for an exemption to return to TT, Young said this was being guided by medical advisors as one of the highest risk factors to spreading the disease is via air travel.

“It is clear from the onset, we did not say they would not be permitted to return. Let the quarantine period finish, we will arrange for medical examination and covid19 testing. On their arrival, CMO and staff would make a determination along with his staff on whether they would be quarantined by the state or quarantined at home.”

He added Government did not make arrangements to return the people from Guadeloupe who were on the cruise. “We facilitated their private arrangements. They returned before the restriction on our borders.” Young said the Government had also requested help from the Government of Suriname to assist with medical examinations for TT nationals in that country who were seeking to return home.