–says Minister Edghill
SHOULD the Government of Guyana decide to participate in the regional ‘travel bubble’ as proposed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), not many adjustments would have to be made to ensure safe and convenient travel to and from the Land of Many Waters.
This is according to Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, who pointed to the fact that Guyana has been a leader in relation to reopening its air and sea ports, and facilitating safe travel even amid the global COVID-19 pandemic that has crippled many sectors, taken million of lives, and devastated the entire world.
The minister who has responsibility for the aviation sector, related that even though many countries across the world and the Caribbean have pursued strict lockdowns as a means of taming the spread of the deadly coronavirus, Guyana, under the leadership of President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has focussed on remaining open and maintaining economic activity, while aggressively pushing a robust and comprehensive vaccination programme.

“We have come out leading as it relates to aviation, travels, and the necessary protocols being established at the airport and so on; we have led,” Edghill posited.
It was Chairman of CARICOM, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne who pointed to the fact that Heads of Government of CARICOM were considering the possible resumption and perhaps even the intensification of regional tourism.
Both the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have indicated that since the coronavirus began making its rounds in early 2020, tourism-dependent economies of the Caribbean have been particularly hard hit.
Due to the systems and restrictions put in place to contain the spread of the virus, almost all of the tourism-fuelled Caribbean countries have experienced negative economic growth, as the travel and tourism sector came to a grinding halt.

This year, some countries have started to permit travel but the tourism sector, which garners much of the region’s revenues, has not yet rebounded.
“We recognise the need to reopen economies while balancing the health and economic livelihood of community nationals and agreed that new protocols for health, safety, visitor management and sanitation protocols were of utmost importance in encouraging the resuscitation of the tourism sector,” the CARICOM Chairman related.
To this end, Minister Edghill said that the manner in which the pandemic has been handled by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, over the past year, is something that Guyana and its people should be proud of, since the country has not remained stagnant, and could easily accommodate the proposed bubble.
It was explained that the proposed ‘travel bubble’ is likely to take into consideration, the long-touted reduction of airfares and travel taxes for movement within the region.
Further, the bubble, once operationalised, is likely to facilitate the travelling of fully vaccinated individuals in an effort to lower the risks of the coronavirus even more.
“I know for sure there is a commitment to facilitate the movement of vaccinated individuals,” the CARICOM Chairman posited.

This means that Guyana remains in an even better position to welcome the travel bubble, owing to its commendable vaccination efforts. To date, Guyana is one of the very few countries that have managed to secure enough vaccines to immunise its entire adult population.
Even though the bubble is yet to be finalised, Minister Edghill projected that it could be a beneficial initiative.
“Guyana would want to facilitate smooth, safe and convenient travel for Guyanese, to all destinations in the Caribbean and for persons from the Caribbean and further afield coming to Guyana,” the Public Works Minister insisted.
He said, too, that once the creation of a travel bubble, “with all of the intricacies,” facilitates safe and convenient travel, it would be something that the Guyanese government would want to examine and participate in.
“We would not be averse to it, but the primary concern is that it must facilitate movement in a safe and secure manner,” Edghill reasoned.
Notwithstanding the intended benefits, Edghill said the proposed travel bubble remains a mere idea at the level of the Heads of Government of CARICOM, and information and instruction have not yet trickled down to the regional ministries and agencies responsible for travel.
“Nothing has come to us as yet. Ultimately, that is a decision of the executives, having considered all of the ramifications,” Edghill noted.