(Trinidad Guardian) Not even foreign spouses or children of T&T nationals will be allowed into the country while the ban on non-nationals entering the country is in place, says National Security Minister Stuart Young.
At Wednesday’s media briefing on COVID-19 issues, Young apologised for the measure but said it was the only way “…for people to have a fighting chance at containing (this situation).”
He advised foreign spouses and children of nationals to stay where they were until the world gets a handle on the virus, since “I won’t be granting exemptions”
Saying the virus is prevalent at international airports, he also repeated advice against travelling. He said he had done a travel exemption for a plane bringing Caribbean Public Health Agency workers.
But he said he also supported airlines which are saying that unless people have T&T passports they can’t fly. He noted some citizens of other countries like the US were producing a T&T birth certificate to get flights here.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley also listed job and business preservation measures which Finance Minister Colm Imbert detailed. Rowley said these also targeted those who could lose jobs in bars and restaurants which would close and Government didn’t want to leave anyone behind.
Government has called on business groups to ask members not to let go workers and Government is in turn seeking to accelerate payments owed to businessmen—VAT and tax returns and contractors’ payments—as they are carrying job preservation efforts.
