Recipe for spreading the virus

THE EDITOR: I wish to draw the attention of the relevant authorities as well as the Prime Minister to what took place on flight BW 484 to Miami recently.

Within the first hour of departure, meals were served to all passengers. It consisted of a hot chicken sandwich and a brown paper bag containing water and snacks. None of the servers wore protective gloves.

What was shocking was the almost immediate consumption of the meals by the majority of passengers. Most of them, except myself, my wife and a few others, consumed their meals at the same time. If this is not a recipe for disaster, then what is?

Granted that all passengers were given a clean bill of health before boarding, but if just one passenger had a false result of their rapid test, which is highly possible, what would be the end result among the planeload of passengers.

There was no physical separation of passengers, beyond the normal seating arrangements. This untenable situation is worse than dining in a restaurant, which is prohibited at present. If it OK for the national airline to have dining aboard its flights, then I am loath to understand why restaurants cannot facilitate dining.

While I hold no brief for the restaurants, I am convinced that dining aboard an airline with appropriately 120 people seated in such a confined and cramped environment is inimical to and counter productive of our country’s protocols to mitigate this pandemic and such a policy should be revisited forthwith.

Our country cannot endure the vagaries of this pandemic with irresponsible decisions by people who ought to know better. I therefore appeal to the chief medical officer of health to review the decision of CAL with a view to minimising the possibility of further escalating the predicament of a nation that is hurting.

ROBERT RAMSAMOOJ

Chaguanas