…NCTF insists they must be COVID-19 free

THE National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has approved the controlled re-entry of approximately 300 Guyanese stranded overseas who will return to the country after testing negative for COVID-19.

In a release on Friday, the Task Force said that these Guyanese will return home from countries such as Trinidad and Tobago and the United States in cities such as New York, New Jersey and Florida.

Those qualifying for re-entry have made requests and are registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Guyanese Embassies, High Commissions and Honourary Consuls.

The decision of the Task Force was made at a special meeting where it was strictly noted that: “…no person who tests positive for COVID-19 will be permitted entry into Guyana and that ALL arriving passengers must undergo the PCR tests and submit the results (which must be in English) at least 48 hours prior to their arrival in Guyana.”

Approval will only be applicable to Guyanese nationals resident in Guyana who are stranded overseas and who registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as at Thursday, May 21, 2020.

It is also only applicable to Guyanese in possession of a valid Guyanese passport although the Immigration Department of Guyana will accept any passenger whose Guyanese passport expired within six months prior to arrival.

Meanwhile, the applicants or their employers must cover all costs for their return via air only.

“Persons who qualify to return to Guyana under this approval are asked to make urgent contact with their nearest Guyanese diplomatic mission and complete the necessary paperwork and submit the relevant documents and information,” the release stated.

“The NCTF empathises with Guyanese who have been stranded overseas for several weeks and some of whom have been sheltering in challenging circumstances. The NCTF sincerely thanks Guyanese residents overseas and other persons who have provided shelter and accommodation for these persons. The NCTF anticipates that these persons will return to Guyana over the course of the next two weeks.”

The Task Force stated that it is eager to ensure that every stranded Guyanese returns home within the shortest possible time while ensuring that the health and safety of Guyanese in Guyana are maintained and not compromised in any way.

It reaffirmed that, apart from these provisions, Guyana’s airspace remains closed and flight applications for each arriving flight related to this approval must be submitted, by the airline or operator, to the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) for approval.

These new approvals come in addition to ones previously made for the controlled re-entry of over 100 Guyanese from countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent, St. Maarten and Cuba.

These previous approvals were made on May 18 by the NCTF and are inclusive of 70 Guyanese cruise ship workers attached to Royal Caribbean; 19 Guyanese students of the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad; 10 Guyanese in St Maarten; four Guyanese in St. Vincent to return via SVG Air; trade unionist Komal Chand’s body, and his wife from Cuba and a team of officials based in Guyana to return from Suriname after observing their May 25 elections.