Guyanese on charter flight from Barbados quarantined on arrival

-national task force condemns behaviour of some returnees

Fourteen Guyanese who returned to Guyana last evening from Barbados on a chartered flight were immediately taken into quarantine by officials from the Ministry of Public Health to be monitored for signs of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) currently ravaging several countries.

However in a statement last night, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) condemned the behaviour of some of the returnees noting that they breached an agreement for a mandatory quarantine and wanted to be able to greet relatives despite the possible risk of transmission of the coronavirus.

Stabroek News was informed that the passengers, including three children, arrived on a Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) plane, which landed at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA), Ogle at around 7pm yesterday.

Some of the persons were said to be students while others were returning from vacation. They were reportedly stranded in Barbados for a number of days and were unable to return until a request was granted by authorities here.

From midnight on March 18, Guyana had closed its two main airports, including the EFCIA, to incoming international passenger traffic for two weeks as part of measures to combat the spread of COVID19.

Spokesman for the airport, Kit Nascimento, last evening confirmed the arrival of the flight to Stabroek News.

“…TGA put in the request to Civil Aviation asking authorities to do so [the chartered flight]. Civil Aviation granted the authorities…and the flight took place under the authority of Civil Aviation,” Nascimento said.

He explained that upon arrival, the passengers were received by health ministry officials and the Civil Defence Commission, who were “fully equipped.”

“It would be an established procedure that any persons arriving under the circumstances would be quarantined,” Nascimento said.

According to him, the same flight had earlier in the day transported some foreign nationals from Guyana.

Concerns have since been raised by the public as to why the flights were allowed even though authorities had announced the closure of the country’s two major airports to incoming international flights for 14 days to combat the spread of COVID19.

Contacted last evening for a comment, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle told Stabroek News that she was not aware of the situation.

In a statement last night, the NCTF said that it is dismayed at the conduct and behaviour of some of the passengers.

It noted that the group of Guyanese claimed to have been stranded in Barbados and made representation through various means to the NCTF and sought permission for a flight to repatriate them to Guyana. The NCTF said that they claimed they were caught in difficult circumstances with nowhere to stay and little money at hand to sustain themselves in Barbados and pleaded on humanitarian grounds.

The NCTF said that the ‘mercy request’ was considered by it and permission was granted on the condition that all the persons must submit themselves to the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) protocols and that this included but was not limited to screening and a mandatory 14 day quarantine period at a government facility. The NCTF statement said that it was further explained that the quarantine will not be either ‘self-quarantine’ or ‘home quarantine’ and that should the need arise, the quarantine period could be extended.

The NCTF said it was assured that all the persons agreed, in full, to these conditions.

“The NCTF is now astonished that almost immediately upon arrival in Guyana, several of the persons objected to being quarantined and objected to being housed at the designated quarantine facility.

“The NCTF also learnt that some of the persons raised objections about not being permitted to “see”, “hug” and “kiss” their relatives who ill-advisedly gathered at the airport at which they arrived. The NCTF is also shocked and alarmed that some of the persons contacted media personnel and reportedly complained vociferously and vehemently about the conditions which they had agreed to as prerequisites for permission being granted to return to Guyana. These complaints to journalists have now led to multiple negative, misleading and irresponsible media reports.

“The NCTF provides the aforementioned facts with a view to clarifying the misleading media reports and calls on all the persons who have acted irresponsibly and injudiciously to cease and desist and to act honourably, responsibly and with a sense of decency.

“The NCTF wishes to advise that it is reviewing a multitude of requests for special permission to be granted for flights to land in Guyana and the actions of some of the persons who arrived on the flight from Barbados can likely jeopardize the chances of other persons stranded elsewhere who are seeking similar humanitarian and mercy considerations as the group from Barbados sought”, the statement said.

The NCTF thanked those persons among the group who have acted with reason and honour in upholding the agreement to be quarantined and assured that MOPH and the relevant agencies will ensure that the best idone to comfortably accommodate all the persons during the quarantine period.