Following a recommendation from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) will remain closed until May 1. This is also expected to apply to the Eugene F Correia International Airport at Ogle.
In an email to the Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, GCAA notes that the lessons learnt during the initial 14-day closure as well as the prevailing regional and global situation support a proposal that the closure be extended for 30 days after its expiration.
The directive is set to expire today April 1.
CJIA made the email public in a Facebook post announcing the extended closure to May 1st.
GCAA has noted that the closure itself has been effective and “assisted tremendously with slowing the spread of COVID-19 by limiting international contacts.”
It also notes that except for Barbados, most of the countries in the region have border restrictions in place at this time while there has been a tremendous increase in COVID-19 cases especially in the traditionally ports of origin for passengers to Guyana namely the United States of America, Europe, Trinidad, Panama and Barbados.
Director General of the GCAA Egbert Field had told Stabroek News earlier yesterday that a possible extension was being discussed by the Ministerial Task Force which was set up to address the country’s response to COVID-19.
“I can say off hand…. the period will be extended but I do not know for what length of time. That will be announced by the Task Force,” Field said.
Field said an official announcement is likely to be made within the next 24 hours.
“It is being discussed right now by the Task force and they should come out with a decision within another 24 hours,” he added.
On March 17th, the authorities had announced that the two major airports would be closed to incoming international flights from midnight of March 18th for a two-week period.
Field had said during this period, monitoring will continue and there will be an extension if necessary.
The two-week period will expire midnight today.
Field had noted that exceptions will be made for outgoing, cargo and medevac flights, technical stops for aircraft which would require fuel to proceed onwards to another destination, and special authorised flights.
The COVID-19 was first identified in China late last year. It has since been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Guyana recorded its first case of COVID-19 on March 11th after a 52-year-old woman who travelled from the United States to Guyana died at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The total number of confirmed cases rose to 12 yesterday following the announcement of four new cases.
A second person who was tested positive for the disease succumbed here yesterday morning.
