Hygiene, screening equipment donated to Airports Authority

The Airports Authority has been given donation of hygiene and screening equipment to assist with covid19 surveillance and containment courtesy the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

A release from the US Embassy said the equipment included free-standing and wall-mounted automatic hand-sanitizer dispensers, 3D hand-sanitiser wall signs, framed tempered glass sneeze guards, standing banners displaying health guidelines, and standing customer service desks.

Kurt Menal, deputy general manager of operations at Piarco Airport, thanked the IOM in the release and said nations worldwide need a co-ordinated response to the pandemic.

“No country can do it on their own,” Menal said. “For the authority it is important to tackle the pandemic on a regional level, and partnerships like this increase the confidence of travellers, migrants and citizens alike, that they will reach their destinations safely.”

The release said the IOM has been working to ensure a well co-ordinated, fair and timely response to the crisis in an effort to stymie its spread.

“International human mobility has been drastically reduced with border closures and travel restrictions at an unprecedented scale,” said Jewel Ali, IOM Port of Spain head of office. “The pandemic demonstrates the need for healthy security that promotes safe, regular, and orderly migration.”

The donation was made possible through the financial support from the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the US Department of State.