NATIONALS of Trinidad and Tobago are now required to be fully vaccinated before they will be allowed to travel to Guyana, according to a gazetted regulation added to the 2021 Civil Aviation Health and Safety regulations.

The updated regulations were made on July 22, 2021 and signed by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill.

The amendment states: “… passengers, except for children, travelling to Guyana from Trinidad and Tobago who are not nationals of Guyana are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to be allowed entry into Guyana.”

On Saturday, this newspaper sought clarification on these updated regulations from Minister Edghill, who explained that the new regulation is meant specifically for nationals of Trinidad and Tobago and not for those who may stop in the Caribbean country due to an in-transit flight.

As such, a passenger who is not a national of Trinidad and Tobago, who is travelling from another country, does not need to be fully vaccinated. That passenger would only need to produce the negative PCR test.

For context, an individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after they have received both doses of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks after receiving the vaccines that are given only in one dose, such as the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

This updated regulation adds to the existing Civil Aviation (Health- Safety Measures for Airports and Aircraft during a Health Pandemic) Regulations for airports and aircraft that mandate passengers take other precautionary measures in light of the public health pandemic.

This includes producing a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from a recognised medical institution 72 hours prior to travel.

Meanwhile, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said that protecting the lives of every Guyanese, no matter the cost, remains the mandate of the Government of Guyana in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. As such he noted that consideration was being given to stricter COVID-19 measures.

On the topic of stricter measures against unvaccinated persons, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) has already recommended that its member companies stipulate that their employees who refuse to be vaccinated provide evidence of a “medically-current COVID-19 negative test” from infection before reporting to work.

Further, the PSC has urged that the government make it mandatory for all medical and security personnel in frontline contact with other persons to either be vaccinated or provide evidence of a medically-current COVID-19 negative test.

“… and that all places providing hospitality and entertainment services, including restaurants, require evidence of either vaccination or a medically-current COVID-19 negative test from its customers in order for them to receive service,” the PSC advised.

Referring to the proposals from the PSC, President Ali said: “At some point, in order to protect the people, you may see us raise the level for social places like restaurants from 40 per cent to 60 per cent, but we add another tier and say that in order to be in there, you have to be vaccinated.