Relatives: Barbados returnees being treated well

The 33 passengers quarantined at the Racquet Centre Step-Down Facility in Tacarigua after being stranded in Barbados for close to a month are being treated well, according to one of the passengers in the facility.

But anxiety is high, as the passengers are becoming desperate to return to their homes and families.

“A lot of people’s blood pressure is high,” the passenger said. “It just seems like some just can’t live this kind of life of not being in their own home.”

Newsday spoke to one of the passengers who said they had just gotten back from having her blood pressure tested, along with the rest of the 33 passengers. She said results of the tests showed that their pressure was elevated. But the passenger said aside from the stress of not being in their own homes, they are being treated well, and are given three square meals.

Her only complaint was the position of the showers.

“They have a container with showers that we use. It is out in the open and we have to go up a couple flights of stairs to get to them. It is elderly women here mostly, with hip replacements and so on. But other than that we are being treated well.”

The 33 passengers landed in Barbados on March 23, hours after Minister of National Security Stuart Young announced that TT’s borders would be closed at midnight on March 22, in an effort to contain the spread of covid19.

For the 29 days that followed they were at a hotel in Speightstown, Barbados, while they pleaded to be allowed to come home. On Tuesday the 33 landed at Piarco Airport on a charter flight after being tested and quarantined in Barbados. They were then taken to the step-down facility.

Before their return, they were given a final test for the virus in Barbados. Newsday was told all 33 tests returned negative.