By Sue-Ann Wayow
TRINIDAD and Tobago will more than likely be on the United Kingdom (UK) red listed over an Indian variant of the Covid-19 virus.
The announcement is expected to be made next week.
The Indian variant or B.1.617, was first detected in India last October and has since spread to more than 40 other countries, including Australia.
International reports stated that the Indian variant was now the dominant strain of the virus in the UK.
The Evening Standard reported on Tuesday that the UK Government was expected to announce which countries will be added to green and red lists on June 7. Those travelling from a red-list country must quarantine for ten days at a hotel upon their return at a cost of £1,750.
The countries believed to be next on the red-list are Bahrain, Costa Rica, T&T and Kuwait, according to an analysis by Robert Boyle reported in The Telegraph.
No vaccine required to travel to US
The United States Embassy also made it official that it does not have any vaccine requirements for entry into the country.
It stated on its official social media pages, “As of today June 1, 2021, the United States does not have any vaccine requirements for entry. The only federal requirement is a negative PCR test that was administered within 72 hours of arrival. Please also check the public health agencies of the state that you are entering to see if there are any additional quarantine or entry requirements. However, at this time you are not required to get a vaccine to travel to the United States.”
Indian variant arrives in Venezuela
Venezuelan President indicated over the weekend that Indian variant had arrived in Venezuela from five Colombian women who crossed the border in Apure.
“There are five cases under study of five women who entered from Colombia, and when they did the test they got something that seems to be the mutant strain from India, so you have to be very careful with the border ,” he added, noting that the authorities have already taken protection measures in the area, a Swiss newspaper reported.
AA.com added that overall, according to the Venezuelan government, the country has recorded roughly 230,000 cases of Covid-19 and 2,595 deaths.
Last month, Brazil’s health minister said the government was doing everything possible to prevent the spread of the Indian variant in the northern state of Maranhao, which has detected the country’s first cases.
T&T battles with P1 strain
T&T also continue to battle with the Brazilian strain of the virus (P1). On Saturday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said so far of the samples sent to be tested for variants since December 2020, there were 504, 100 of which were the Brazilian variant and 1.8% showed the UK variant. Since the first P1 variant, there have been 363 tests, 100 of which were positive representing 27.6% Dr Parasram said. Tobago tested two samples of concern but is expected to confirm this week if indeed there was some-one from Tobago with that particular variant.
National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds announced recently the intention to have stronger monitoring measures at T&T’s borders as illegal immigrants continue to pose a major problem.
He admitted that the first case of the P1 variant in T&T was from an illegal Venezuelan migrant.
