Unvaccinated safe-zone employees must provide covid19 test

While unvaccinated employees of designated safe zones will be allowed to return to work, they will be required to provide a covid19 test that was done within 14 days.

Responding to questions from reporters at the Ministry of Health covid19 virtual media conference on Monday, principal medical officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards said people who could not receive either of the four covid19 vaccines available in TT would be issued medical certificates.

She said the certificates could be given to people who had a medical condition that debars them from receiving one of the vaccines on a permanent basis or people who could not be vaccinated temporarily.

This may apply to women in their first trimester of pregnancy or people who were infected with the coronavirus within the previous 90 days.

She explained workers in safe zones with either one of these certificates would be required to provide a PCR test.

"Employees who work in the safe zones and provide medical exemptions or a medical deferral certificate need to have a covid19 test or a PCR test done within 14 days, or every 14 days, and this certificate needs to be present and on site at the particular safe-zone establishment, because failure to comply with this may result in the employer and employee being charged."

On September 23, the Prime Minister announced that certain businesses which have been closed or restricted during the covid19 pande­mic would be allowed to fully reopen on October.