SINCE the reopening of its airports, Guyana has recorded 20 imported cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Ministry of Health Dr. Frank Anthony revealed during his daily COVID-19 update on Monday. Even as the country is welcoming another international airline to its aviation sector, the government is working to ensure that any potential spread of the COVID-19 virus is minimised. JetBlue’s inaugural flight landed in Guyana on December 12, 2020 with 150 passengers. Even as this new airline brings great potential for investment, the government is still working to ensure that all COVID-19 preventative protocols are followed.
So far, there have been no imported cases of COVID-19 from the JetBlue flights that have come into the country since December 12, 2020.
Dr. Anthony stated that all 20 imported cases are currently being monitored, to ensure that those persons are complying with the necessary regulations for staying safe and minimising the spread of the virus. “We have reached out to those persons and explained the measures that they need to take and we have been monitoring them,” Dr. Anthony said. Further, he disclosed that passengers who were in close proximity to those who tested positive, were also contacted by the ministry and asked to self-isolate or self-quarantine.

“We would normally reach out to the persons who sat next to them, like the rows in front, side and at the back because these other passengers would have been in close proximity to the infected persons and would have been for a number of hours, so the possibility of spread is there,” the Health Minister explained.
The airports were reopened on October 12, 2020 after being closed on March 8; since then, over 5,000 persons have arrived in Guyana.
At both the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the Eugene. F. Correia international airport, PCR testing stations have been set up to facilitate testing of persons who were required to have a COVID-19 test before entering the country. According to the new, established rule for travel, all persons entering the country via the airports are required to produce a negative PCR test within 72 hours of travelling; those persons whose PCR test exceed 72 hours are required to undergo an additional PCR test upon arrival at the airport. The passengers are required to isolate at home until they receive their results within 24 hours.
For persons who cannot isolate or quarantine at home, the Health Minister stated that the ministry will provide such facilities.