A flight from Miami to Georgetown is expected to land today with the first group of Guyanese who were approved to return home since the closure of the country’s airspace due to COVID-19 restrictions, de facto Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson has confirmed.
With many Guyanese stranded overseas seeking to return, the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) recently announced that it had granted approval for the conditional return of some 300 persons. A condition of their return includes submitting proof of a negative COVID-19 test.
Asked whether the flight remained on schedule for today, Patterson yesterday told Stabroek News that he understood that it would be proceeding, while noting that it would ultimately be determined by the travellers meeting the stipulated Ministry of Public Health requirements and having the quota necessary for the airline to fly.
Earlier, while speaking to reporters outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where the national recount of the votes cast at the March 2 polls was continuing, Patterson yesterday also said that some persons were having difficulties submitting the results from the required Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
“Most of the incoming passengers were getting issues with the test which they are required to get. Some would have uploaded it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Some were ineligible,” he explained while noting that while the government wanted stranded Guyanese to return, it did not want them to return without testing.
According to the minister, there are 300 Guyanese awaiting to return home and apart from Miami flights will be coming from New York, Trinidad and Barbados. All flights will be chartered.
Patterson added that the number of flights will be dependent on the capacity of the Ministry of Public Health to accommodate those who may require placement in quarantine facilities.
“It is determined by the Ministry of Public Health’s capacity, so I would assume it would be no more than one or two per week because obviously there is a limited amount of space even at the private quarantine facilities. So, obviously should there be a large amount of persons who want to go into the public and free facility, we have adequate space to accommodate them,” he explained.
Those being repatriated had registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before May 21. The process of bringing home Guyanese will be continuous, Patterson said, while advising stranded Guyanese to register on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
The cost of the flight will be borne by the returning passengers.
Earlier this week, the NCTF announced that Guyanese returning from overseas would be allowed to quarantine themselves at home for a mandatory seven days in a softening of its earlier stance that they would have to submit to 14 days at state-run or private quarantine facilities. The Private Sector Commission had lobbied for returning citizens to be allowed to be in quarantine at home, with the penalty of a fine should they breach the stipulation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the NCTF stated that home quarantine means “quarantining at their respective private residences. Persons are required to remain there for the duration of the seven day period and not leave for any reason save and except to seek emergency medical care.”
It noted that those returning are also required to complete a Repatriation Form and submit a PCR COVID-19 test (in English) with a negative result 48 hours prior to arrival. “The NCTF reaffirms that no person who tests positive for COVID-19 will be allowed to return to Guyana at this time,” it added.
