By Sue-Ann Wayow
EFFECTIVE from November 15, persons entering Trinidad and Tobago must have a negative PCR Covid-19 test done 72 hours before travel.
Persons will be quarantined for seven days and will be re-tested on the sixth before being allowed to leave state facilities.
Returnees will be required to be either in state quarantine facilities-paid for by the State, or State-supervised facilities – paid for by the individuals.
This was announced by National Security Minister Stuart Young during the Prime Minister’s media conference on Saturday.
He said, “From the 15th of November, we will be requiring persons entering Trinidad and Tobago to have a PCR test 72 hours prior to entry. Upon getting into Trinidad and Tobago, we will still require persons to go into state quarantine which is where the state covers the cost or state supervised quarantine facilities for the next seven days. We will test persons who have entered with their negative PCR test on the sixth day. Once you present your negative, your second negative as we call it on the sixth day, you will be released and you can go home. ”
Young and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley advised persons travelling home especially for Christmas to calculate their days properly or they could end up spending Christmas in quarantine.
Rowley also stated, “It would not be possible for everyone who wants to come home for Christmas to be able to come home.”
Young who gave additional details about the new system that will be implemented, said most CARICOM countries had this system already in place as borders slowly re-open.
One more facility – Kapok Hotel has been added to the list which would allow for an additional 100 beds for State supervised facilities and Young is encouraging persons coming home, to pay for such facilities once it could be afforded to allow for spaces elsewhere in order to accommodate the increased numbers of travellers returning home in December.
Flights to the US and Barbados continue on a weekly basis and Young said the number of numbers requesting to be repatriated from Canada remained low and flight would be adjusted as needed.
Giving additional details about those repatriated, Young said 13,042 have applied for exemptions as at November 6 and 7,204 exemptions have been granted.
And Young said there were in addition to persons wanting to return or before the border closure there were also now persons leaving the country during the Covid-19 period who would now also be requesting return exemption.
