Flights should be chartered to bring stranded Guyanese home

Dear Editor,

The American and Canadian governments have assisted their citizens to return to their countries due to the shutdown of air travel on 18 March 2020.

There are many Guyanese who have been left stranded in Caribbean countries such as Trinidad, Barbados, St. Lucia and Antigua, and who wish to return to their homeland – Guyana. This wait is now approximately seven weeks and is very costly and indeed stressful.

No decision has yet been taken on a reopening date for international air travel. Arising from this uncertainty, an appeal is being made to the Chief Executive Officer of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) to arrange some chartered flights to bring the stranded Guyanese home, similar to what was done for the American and Canadian citizens. I am sure that the private aircraft companies can fulfil this much needed obligation.

That being said, I hereby look forward to NCTF, his Excellency President Granger and other authorized officials addressing the plight of our Guyanese, who are stranded overseas and who are presently in serious financial difficulties. Your early attention and positive action are very much needed to this request.

Yours faithfully,

(Name and address supplied)