Local public health officials have received no report of a passenger being sent back to Guyana by Trinidad authorities after they reportedly discovered the female passenger’s journey had originated in Hong Kong.
The Trinidad Guardian reported yesterday that a female passenger had arrived at the Piarco International Airport from Guyana on Monday night and was subsequently sent back to Guyana after it was discovered that she came from Hong Kong. In the Guardian’s report, it was stated that the woman did not show any symptoms but was returned to Guyana because of the country’s travel restriction from China following the spread of the novel coronavirus. The Guardian had earlier reported that “Government announced a travel restriction of 14 days for people of any nationality coming to T&T from China. They will have to wait 14 days after they’ve left China, to enter T&T.”
When contacted yesterday, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO), Dr Karen Gordon-Campbell told Stabroek News that they have received no such report from port health or immigration authorities. Gordon-Campbell said that protocols are in place to have screening of persons traveling to Guyana from places where they could have been exposed to the coronavirus.
The doctor, however, said that she is only aware of one student who came to Guyana on Tuesday night via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport who was sent to the Diamond Hospital and later home to be quarantined there.
The DCMO, while speaking of the protocols, stated that the immigration officers would be in receipt of health declaration forms which would inform them if there were any sick persons onboard. According to Boyle-Campbell, the immigration authorities have to look at the passports and travel history of passengers to find out if they had traveled to China or any other high risk areas. She said persons who traveled from China or high risk places would be quarantined. “Quarantine could either be at home for 14 days or in a medical facility,” the DCMO said.
She added that before the outbreak was deemed a public health emergency, everyone was being quarantined at home but as a result of the heightened risk, persons are being quarantined at medical facilities. According to the health official, 10 persons are currently quarantined here and health officers will be following up with them but so far none have shown any symptoms of the coronavirus.
At a press conference last week, it was noted that isolation areas were identified at hospitals and officials were working to ensure that the areas are safe.
