THE Ministry of National Security is not coming clean on how exemptions really work and the criteria to get them.
Latest figures of the Minister of National Security Stuart Young stated that 3,531 people were awaiting travel exemptions to return home.
The real problem is that the system is flawed as the Government and Ministry of National Security have not clearly outlined the procedures to access the exemptions.
They are sugar coating the inefficiencies in an effort to downplay the suffering of our stranded citizens and possibly to prop up the hotel industry which is in a dire state.
Citizens languishing for months outside Trinidad and Tobago are denied entry to return to their beloved country because they cannot pay the fees the Ministry of National Security is insisting they pay before approvals are given for their exemptions. They must state ability to pay for their quarantine accommodations at these high-priced hotels across the country.
Many cost between $5000 to $8000 per week and the stranded citizens are denied entry if they are honest and state on the exemption application forms that they cannot afford these prices.
What have we become where our citizens are being forced into accepting these high financial arrangements.
It’s a lot of money to be quarantined.
Just check the prices that these hotels are charging for accommodations being imposed by the Government. With no other business circulating in the economy, they are suffering these poor and anxious people who will do anything to get reentry to T&T.
Is this being used as a method to keep afloat these hotels with no care or concern of what these people have already been put through?
Is it that the Government is using this technique to supplement the hoteliers and cushioning the impact on the economy from the fallout of Covid-19?
Many hotels have closed and cannot sustain their operations in this atmosphere but a few lucky ones have been approved by the Government to be the designated quarantine hotels.
Some returning citizens must spend seven days in state quarantine and another seven days at home before being allowed back into a normal routine.
How sustainable is this method of propping up the hotel industry?
Isn’t it better on working on getting the vaccines here as soon as possible in the quantities needed to vaccinate the population so we can get back to some semblance of life as it was before Covid-19?
The minister is well aware of what’s taking place here, and as reported, very supportive to encourage economic activity during this pandemic which is a good thing, but from what we see, there’s more in the mortar than the pestle.
If you cannot pay for your quarantine “crapo smoke yuh pipe.”
There is a well organised and dedicated email section to apply online for these exemptions, one such email is: corptravelexemption@mns.gov.tt that goes directly to the permanent secretary and it’s stated that you will be consider on a case by case basis.
However, people are being denied once they state they cannot pay for their quarantine accommodations and this is really heart wrenching in certain cases.
As days turn into months their despair increases leading to depression and anxiety and in some cases dire straits.
So my appeal to the powers that be is to put a mechanism is place to will help these people get equitable exemptions and cater for our less fortunate citizens so that they are allowed back home and not denied entry because of their financial status.
I’m calling on the Government to have compassion and to enlarge hearts and the funding for the Ministry of Health to create more quarantine facilities, that the state can foot the bill for citizens who cannot afford the high rates of these quarantine hotels.
Remember this is T&T, a land where we help the less fortunate and we band together to support God, country and our fellow man where our motto of “Together We Aspire, Together we Achieve” means once we dream, act and work together then we will succeed together and overcome this Covid-19 pandemic.
Commentary: Focus on Vaccination, Not Propping Up Hotels
THE Ministry of National Security is not coming clean on how exemptions really work and the criteria to get them.
Latest figures of the Minister of National Security Stuart Young stated that 3,531 people were awaiting travel exemptions to return home.
The real problem is that the system is flawed as the Government and Ministry of National Security have not clearly outlined the procedures to access the exemptions.
They are sugar coating the inefficiencies in an effort to downplay the suffering of our stranded citizens and possibly to prop up the hotel industry which is in a dire state.
Citizens languishing for months outside Trinidad and Tobago are denied entry to return to their beloved country because they cannot pay the fees the Ministry of National Security is insisting they pay before approvals are given for their exemptions. They must state ability to pay for their quarantine accommodations at these high-priced hotels across the country.
Many cost between $5000 to $8000 per week and the stranded citizens are denied entry if they are honest and state on the exemption application forms that they cannot afford these prices.
What have we become where our citizens are being forced into accepting these high financial arrangements.
It’s a lot of money to be quarantined.
Just check the prices that these hotels are charging for accommodations being imposed by the Government. With no other business circulating in the economy, they are suffering these poor and anxious people who will do anything to get reentry to T&T.
Is this being used as a method to keep afloat these hotels with no care or concern of what these people have already been put through?
Is it that the Government is using this technique to supplement the hoteliers and cushioning the impact on the economy from the fallout of Covid-19?
Many hotels have closed and cannot sustain their operations in this atmosphere but a few lucky ones have been approved by the Government to be the designated quarantine hotels.
Some returning citizens must spend seven days in state quarantine and another seven days at home before being allowed back into a normal routine.
How sustainable is this method of propping up the hotel industry?
Isn’t it better on working on getting the vaccines here as soon as possible in the quantities needed to vaccinate the population so we can get back to some semblance of life as it was before Covid-19?
The minister is well aware of what’s taking place here, and as reported, very supportive to encourage economic activity during this pandemic which is a good thing, but from what we see, there’s more in the mortar than the pestle.
If you cannot pay for your quarantine “crapo smoke yuh pipe.”
There is a well organised and dedicated email section to apply online for these exemptions, one such email is: corptravelexemption@mns.gov.tt that goes directly to the permanent secretary and it’s stated that you will be consider on a case by case basis.
However, people are being denied once they state they cannot pay for their quarantine accommodations and this is really heart wrenching in certain cases.
As days turn into months their despair increases leading to depression and anxiety and in some cases dire straits.
So my appeal to the powers that be is to put a mechanism is place to will help these people get equitable exemptions and cater for our less fortunate citizens so that they are allowed back home and not denied entry because of their financial status.
I’m calling on the Government to have compassion and to enlarge hearts and the funding for the Ministry of Health to create more quarantine facilities, that the state can foot the bill for citizens who cannot afford the high rates of these quarantine hotels.
Remember this is T&T, a land where we help the less fortunate and we band together to support God, country and our fellow man where our motto of “Together We Aspire, Together we Achieve” means once we dream, act and work together then we will succeed together and overcome this Covid-19 pandemic.