THE National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has stated that while it is sympathetic of Guyanese currently stuck in foreign countries as a result of the global pandemic, it is not feasible for the country to re-open its international borders at this time.

Guyana’s ban on international travel took effect on March 18, 2020 for two weeks and was extended for an additional 30 days to May 1, based on the recommendation of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

It gives exception to approved outgoing flights; cargo flights; medevac flight; technical stops by airplanes for fuel and special authorised flights.

While embassies from countries such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) have made arrangements for hundreds of their nationals trapped in Guyana to leave the country via chartered flights, the same may not be possible for Guyana — at least not now.

This position was made clear by the NCTF on Friday in a release to the media based on agreements made at a virtual meeting held on Thursday.

“The NCTF continues to receive information of Guyanese citizens who are in various parts of the world seeking to return to Guyana, and while sympathetic to their situation, considers it a priority to ensure that all citizens in Guyana are protected from the spread of COVID-19 and reiterates that Guyana’s international airports remain closed to incoming passengers until May 3. An assessment is to be done, prior to May 3, to determine whether the airports can reopen to passenger traffic or whether it is necessary for the closure to be extended,” the taskforce stated.

There are Guyanese still in countries around the world as close as Trinidad and Tobago and as far as Israel due to the pandemic. Most countries have shut their international borders and flights, for business and leisure, have reduced drastically.

On the announcement of the extension of the international travel ban, Director General of GCAA, Lt. Col. (ret’d) Egbert Field, had explained that the decision continues to protect Guyana from visitors from countries where cases of the virus have soared.

Guyana recorded its first imported case of the virus on March 11, 2020. It was a 52-year-old Guyanese woman who had travelled from the US. The woman has since passed away.

Field also said that the restriction has enabled Guyana’s health authorities and quarantine facilities to better manage internal cases as opposed to it being flooded with a number of imported cases.

Head of NCTF, Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, also commented on the specific challenge a few days ago in his weekly column, “My Turn”.

“Should the restriction be lifted, as is being advocated by some, Guyana could quickly have an inflow of between 2,000 and 5,000 persons. Possibly more. Upon their return, all of them have to be screened, placed in quarantine and tested. Some of them might possibly be hospitalised. Such inflow at this time would be enough to overwhelm and literally kill our healthcare system,” he said.

In the broader sense, the prime minister averages that there are over 300,000 persons of Guyanese origin living in the tri-borough New York State.

He said that fellow Guyanese empathise with many who might be legitimately stranded while on vacation or on business, but the tough decisions must be made at this time for the greater good.