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Caribbean Airlines grounds int’l flights – as T&T records 40 new cases of COVID-19
Under threat but unrelenting, the world has been gradually taking up a battle stance to combat the pernicious impact of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus. The tactical response, ranging from closure of borders to social distancing, has been so impacting that it is literally threatening to cripple economies.
From all indication, only the most resilient among us will last. In order to give even more a fighting chance, some hard decisions are being made. One was announced just yesterday.
By way of a statement, the Trinidad and Tobago-based Caribbean Airlines, which has been flying the friendly global skies for many years, has taken a decision to restrict its international flights. This has come on the heels of an announcement made by the twin-island Government, “that effective 12.01 a.m. on Monday March 23, 2020 the borders of Trinidad and Tobago will be closed to all international commercial services until further notice”.
This, from all indications, has stemmed from concerns surrounding recently confirmed cases of COVID-19 there.
According to the Trinidad Guardian, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh has confirmed that there are 40 new cases of the novel coronavirus in Trinidad and Tobago, taking the overall national figure to 49 cases.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Deyalsingh said the 40 new cases were from among the batch of 68 nationals who were immediately quarantined at Camp Balandra after they returned home from an ill-fated Caribbean cruise in Guadeloupe on Wednesday.
Deyalsingh said the results of the latest tests were received Friday night and the patients were transferred immediately to the Couva Hospital around 1 am Saturday.
The 40 new cases were among 70 nationals who were on board the cruiseliner Costa Favalosa, which was denied entry to Martinique after leaving Guadeloupe when several passengers aboard tested positive for the virus.
Two women who were also among the T&T travellers onboard the vessel returned the day before the batch of 68 and tested positive for the virus on their way home and were immediately hospitalised.
Chief Medical Officer, Roshan Parasram, said the 40 patients were at this stage showing different stages of mild symptoms of the virus, including sore throats, fever, runny noses and coughing, and will continue to be treated at the Couva Hospital.
He said the other 28 nationals at Camp Balandra will continue to be monitored closely and will now be put on a fresh 14-day quarantine cycle. Parasram also said there is no immediate risk of transmission of the virus from the Balandra location to the national population as the 68 nationals had been fully contained there because they had come from an environment where the virus existed.
Noting, however, that the 70 nationals had travelled to go to the cruise on March 3, when COVID-19 had already begun to peak globally, Deyalsingh said he was extremely disappointed that nationals continued to make bad choices which were putting the national community at risk. He reiterated that the virus was spread by contact and could only be eradicated by cutting out unnecessary human contact.
As such, he continued to ask all citizens to follow the COVID-19 protocols announced by the Government.
Meanwhile Caribbean Airlines said that its domestic operations will continue.
The airline has advised too that customers holding tickets for international services beyond March 23, 2020 can place tickets on hold for future travel, adding that “further instructions from the government of Trinidad and Tobago may mean that this information changes.”
For the latest information persons can check the airline’s website – www.caribbean-airlines.com; its mobile app; its flight notifications service and social media pages since “due to the high volume of calls the airline is currently receiving, there may be long waiting times to access the call centers”.
Even as it takes necessary precaution, the airline said that it “remains committed to its customers and thanks all stakeholders for their continued support, as the company deals with this evolving and unprecedented situation.”
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