Guyana has placed restrictions on entry into the country of travellers from Ebola-hit West African countries and government yesterday announced that simultaneously a series of health prevention and care measures have also been implemented.
Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon informed that last Saturday the Ministry of Health requested that government place restrictions on travellers as it detailed to government the plans it has to face the threat of the spread of the deadly virus which has raised global anxiety. Yesterday was the first public announcement of the government measure and came on the same day that Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago also announced restrictions on travellers from West Africa.
“The Cabinet strongly supported the restrictions and those restrictions apply to arrival from the affected West African States… they will not be provided with visas to enter Guyana,” Luncheon told a news conference. Around 4,500 persons have died in West Africa from the virus which is said to have a 21-day incubation period.
A travel advisory issued in September by Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that persons flying from 16 West African countries would not be given visas on arrival here.
“All Airlines flying to Guyana have been advised that with immediate effect all persons originating from the following countries who are NOT in possession of a visa must not be boarded. Although these persons might indicate that they have applied for a visa on arrival, even in such circumstances they are not to be boarded,” that notice stated.
Those countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Luncheon said that at Cabinet’s Tuesday meeting, a unanimous decision was made to continue not issuing visas to persons travelling from West African nations. He informed that in addition to training of medical personnel to deal with the virus, procurement of ample medical supplies was also addressed.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran also sought to assure yesterday that stringent restrictions are in place on entry to Guyana of persons who may present a threat to the health of the nation via the Ebola virus.
His statement, styled as a clarification, came in the wake of questions on whether there would be an outright ban by Guyana on entry to nationals from the West African countries seriously affected by the Ebola virus: Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. The outbreak is said to be under control in Nigeria and Senegal. The question of whether Guyana would ban these persons arose after St Vincent and the Grenadines and St Lucia this week announced outright bans on these persons. The Jamaica Gleaner yesterday reported that St Kitts-Nevis has also imposed a ban. Yesterday afternoon, both Jamaica and Trinidad announced their own restrictions.
“The Ministry of Health would like to clarify and reassure that there are stringent restrictions on entry to Guyana by persons who may pose a threat to the health of the Nation by the importation of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) particularly regarding citizens of and visitors to West African countries where the disease is currently raging and represents a Public Health Threat of International Concern,” a statement from Ramsaran’s ministry read.
“The MOH has maintained vigilance since and will continue and expand as needed the multi-agency work already started to protect Guyana from this disease,” it added.
The Trinidad Express yesterday reported that persons from Sierra Leone, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia and Nigeria—have been banned from entering Trinidad with immediate effect.
Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan made the announcement at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, St Ann’s.
Additionally, the Express report said that persons who have visited those countries within a six-week period will also be prohibited from entering T&T.
Citizens of Trinidad who visited or live in those countries and wish to come home will be quarantined for a 21-day period, the Express report added.
Khan said all Government officials have also been banned from travelling to any of the Ebola stricken countries.
Khan revealed that a bio-containment unit will be bought at a cost of TT$3.2 million and will be housed at the Caura Hospital.
He said this unit comprises an eight-room isolation tent with negative pressure and human waste incinerator among other features.
Khan said several hazardous material suits (hazmat) would be also be purchased at a cost of US$20,000 for one.
Khan said further the Ebola prevention and response team will coordinate and manage all types of activities related to the prevention and management of the deadly virus. He added that this team will also make a determination on whether Carnival 2015 should be cancelled.
Government, acting on advice from Health Ministry officials, recently vetoed a trip by a Trinidad and Tobago delegation to attend the annual Com-monwealth Parliamentary Association Conference which took place in Cameroon, Africa, between October 6 and 12.
Meanwhile, a Jamaica government statement yesterday said the ban covered “certain persons traveling directly or indirectly, from or through” the three West African countries, where nearly 4,500 people have died of the disease.
Jamaica’s travel ban extends to “persons ordinarily resident in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone as well as persons who have traveled to or transited through Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, within 28 days of having departed from these countries,” the government said, describing it as a temporary measure to protect human and animal health.
The government also said Jamaican citizens and residents would be quarantined, in the interest of public health and national security, for 28 days after any travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
This also applied to members of international organizations with a right of entry to the country.
