GEORGETOWN – Over one hundred Guyanese nationals returned home on Saturday after being stranded in the United States for over two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 137 nationals who arrived at the Cheddi Jagan Airport on an Eastern Airlines flight from Miami, Florida, were greeted by health officials and were sanitised upon leaving the aircraft.
In welcoming the returning Guyanese, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, commended the staff at the airport, adding that the flight was possible due to the continuous work of all ministries, agencies and stakeholders.
“We would have been able to put in place several elements needed to ensure that we can be able to cushion any effects that will spill out from persons travelling from high-risk countries to Guyana,” the Minister explained.
With a mandatory seven-day quarantine in effect, the Minister said the Surveillance Department of the Ministry of Public Health will remain in contact with the citizens to ensure compliance with health guidelines.
Lawrence said the Health Emergency Operations Department is also in a position to address any possible cases should one of the returned citizens later test positive for COVID-19.
Director-General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority Lt. Col. Egbert Field, who was also at the airport to welcome the nationals, said more repatriation flights are expected during the second week of June.
According to health officials, all of the Guyanese who arrived on the flight would have tested negative for COVID-19, as they had to submit themselves for a test and provide the results to the local authorities before coming home.
Under the repatriation guidelines, all returning nationals are required to home quarantine for seven days and to follow the necessary public health guidelines as dictated by the National COVID-19 Task Force.
There are more than 500 Guyanese nationals who are still stranded abroad, in different countries.
The authorities have indicated that the repatriation flights will be done twice per week and the returning citizens will have to stand the cost of the flight home. (CMC)
