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Stranded for weeks in Barbados... Joyful Trinis coming home today
Anna Ramdass
Squeals of joy broke out in Barbados yesterday when it was announced that National Security Minister Stuart Young had granted permission for 33 Trinidad and Tobago nationals to return home today.
The Express learnt that upon arrival at Piarco International Airport today the nationals will be questioned and immediately whisked away to the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua where they will undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine period and tested for the COVID-19 virus.
They will arrive on two flights — the first at 11 a.m. and the second at 2.15 p.m. — on a chartered plane from One Caribbean Ltd out of St Vincent at a total cost of US$25,000.
Acting permanent secretary in the National Security Ministry, Gary Joseph, wrote to Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews yesterday stating that Young has granted an exception to the current travel restrictions to allow two flights from Barbados to enter and leave Trinidad today to repatriate 33 nationals.
The letter stated only the 33 nationals are to disembark the aircraft.
Phillip Ramdial, head of Just Go Travel who had organised a cruise and tour for the group in Dubai, said everyone is elated beyond words to finally return home after over a month away.
The group left Trinidad on February 25, Carnival Tuesday, for Dubai where they embarked on a cruise on the Indian Ocean.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, they tried to make their way back to Trinidad but were unable to do so as this country’s borders closed at midnight on March 22 and they arrived in Barbados on March 23.
The Barbados government decided to keep the group in that country on humanitarian grounds and they underwent 14 days mandatory quarantine at the Sugar Cane Hotel and then almost another two weeks at the hotel while awaiting word from the Trinidad and Tobago Government as to whether they can return home.
The group was supposed to be tested for COVID-19 in Barbados and kits were sent by the T&T Government but that plan was scrapped after the Barbados government said they were short on swabs.
One family
On April 12, Young said the group will be allowed to enter the country and be tested here but added he won’t be sending a flight for them.
Ramdial said the T&T nationals has organised a farewell “thank you” function to show their love, gratitude and appreciation for the staff at the Sugar Cane Hotel who treated them like family.
He reiterated heartfelt thanks to the Barbados government and Prime Minister Mia Mottley for her compassion.
Speaking to the Express by phone yesterday, Ramdial said the hotel also showed their appreciation for the group and treated them to a complimentary dinner.
He said the group was together when he got the call from attorneys Prakash Ramadhar and Larry Lalla that permission was given.
“We feel very happy. In fact, when I gave them the good news at 4.10 p.m. everybody went into an uproar. Prakash could tell you that he was on the phone with me. It was a good feeling knowing we are finally going home. There is no place like home sweet home,” he said.
“When you reflect, they did a wonderful job, Minister Young, the Prime Minister. I want to thank them for giving us this privilege to be home again on our home soil,” he added.
Ramdial said it was not easy for him to see the sad faces, tears and distress of group members on a daily basis as they had no idea when they would have seen their homes again.
He said while they are prepared for testing and quarantine here they would prefer if they could quarantine at home as he pointed out they have spent almost a month in Barbados restricted to the hotel.
However, the Express was told by medical sources that Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram has advised that the group be quarantined in a State facility as a precaution.
Stateless citizens
Attorneys Ramadhar and Larry Lalla have been communicating with Young on behalf of the group.
Lalla said: “I’m very happy that these citizens are finally being allowed to return to sweet T&T. I don’t personally know any of them but got involved in their cause when I heard they were stranded in Barbados, were retirees, had left Trinidad on Carnival Tuesday, were on a cruise ship in South Africa on the Friday when it was announced that the borders would be closed on Sunday at midnight, and they had scampered back home from South Africa, but just couldn’t make it back on time. It was therefore not their fault that they were locked out of the country.”
He said 25 years ago, as a law student, he was taught that under the rules of international law a country could not make its citizens stateless and he was determined to see that T&T did not do so with these elderly citizens.
He said he immediately contacted MP Dr Roodal Moonilal and asked him to get involved and he did so without hesitation by issuing a statement.
He then spoke to MP Prakash Ramadhar about the cause. He said the process has been long.
“Personally, my satisfaction came today when I advised the group leader over the phone in Barbados that they would be coming home tomorrow. The whole group was having a prayer session at the time and the cheers of joy I heard from them in the background as the announcement was made brought a few tears to my eyes,” he said.
“I’m happy for them and all their sons, daughters, grand-children, relatives and friends who await them here in Trinidad.
I want to thank Minister Stuart Young and his staff for the assistance we had as well as Dr Roodal Moonilal, Mr Prakash Ramadhar and the Trinidad Express for all the support given to this patriotic cause. There’s no place like home!” said Lalla.
Duke warns WASA over suspected covid19 death
Kinnesha George
THA Minority leader and president of the Public Services Association (PSA) Watson Duke is calling on the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) to say whether a PSA member who worked at WASA's Tobago office died of covid19 on Saturday.
Duke also wants WASA's top officials to say if employees were put at risk by allowing the PSA member to report for work while ill.
On Sunday, Duke said on Facebook that staff had told management that the worker, a female security officer, was coughing and had a high fever, but nothing was done about it. Instead, the concerned workers were allegedly told to continue reporting for duty.
Duke said: “Did the management of WASA Tobago allow someone suspected of covid19 to infect several employees? Did the CEO of WASA knowingly allow someone who is a covid19 suspect to be working in and among workers, placing thereby those other workers' lives in direct threat of covid?"
He said the guard, who was contracted through a private security firm and based at a water-treatment plant in the east, went to work coughing last week.
He said he had seen an e-mail exchange between WASA managers in Tobago and Trinidad, which said the medical advice was: "Let the person who is a suspect case come to work still."
Newsday sought to obtain a copy of the alleged WASA e-mail exchange from Duke but he refused.
"The person had high fever; the person had cold working in a WASA station. Workers complained about this individual...working in and around WASA workers,” Duke said.
If any WASA employees contract the virus, he said, the PSA will take legal action.
“If any essential service worker who is working contracts covid19 in the line of their duty, they should be paid immediately $1.5 million."
Duke said while he's at home, he doesn't wish to engage in any type of union activities, but he might be forced to shut down a few organisations.
Questioned on Monday about the suspected covid19 death at the daily virtual press briefings, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said the policy in place by local authorities is that autopsies will not be done for covid19.
"The Chief Medical Officer on this very forum on numerous occasions has said, without speaking to the particular case in Tobago, that if you have a confirmed case of death due to covid19 that no autopsy is performed. I'm just giving you that fact. I would urge everyone to ignore social media, we would be guided by updates from the Ministry of Health."
Pressed further for more details about the claims, Deyalsingh said: "I think the best way I can deal with claims by Mr Duke is just simply to ignore it."
In a release, WASA said appropriate health and safety measures have been undertaken.
WASA said it was following "all protocols under its business continuity plan and Ministry of Health guidelines, regarding the response to possible covid19 cases within the authority.”
It said it had no previous reports that the security officer had shown flu-like symptoms while on duty.
WASA said contact tracing measures had been implemented and staff who may have been in contact with her were told to self-quarantine, pending the results of the autopsy.
WASA sent condolences to her family.
The Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development said county medical officer of health for Tobago Dr Tiffany Hoyte had been contacted after the guard died.
“To date, there is no confirmation that the security officer died as a result of covid19,” it said, also pointing out that she had not been suspected of having covid19 before she died, and hence had not been swabbed.
The division said like WASA, it had not received any earlier reports that the guard had felt ill or had flu-like symptoms at work.
pugboy wrote:https://www.facebook.com/An0malyMusic/videos/559198474719976/
Interesting points, eg if govt ban sugar and alcohol more lives might be saved from those vices than corona deaths
He said he immediately contacted MP Dr Roodal Moonilal and asked him to get involved and he did so without hesitation by issuing a statement.
So they are pigs?....waaaay dread.hydroep wrote:AT LAST!
Stranded for weeks in Barbados... Joyful Trinis coming home today
Anna Ramdass
Squeals of joy broke out in Barbados yesterday when it was announced that National Security Minister Stuart Young had granted permission for 33 Trinidad and Tobago nationals to return home today.
The Express learnt that upon arrival at Piarco International Airport today the nationals will be questioned and immediately whisked away to the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua where they will undergo a 14-day mandatory quarantine period and tested for the COVID-19 virus.
They will arrive on two flights — the first at 11 a.m. and the second at 2.15 p.m. — on a chartered plane from One Caribbean Ltd out of St Vincent at a total cost of US$25,000.
Acting permanent secretary in the National Security Ministry, Gary Joseph, wrote to Chief Immigration Officer Charmaine Gandhi-Andrews yesterday stating that Young has granted an exception to the current travel restrictions to allow two flights from Barbados to enter and leave Trinidad today to repatriate 33 nationals.
The letter stated only the 33 nationals are to disembark the aircraft.
Phillip Ramdial, head of Just Go Travel who had organised a cruise and tour for the group in Dubai, said everyone is elated beyond words to finally return home after over a month away.
The group left Trinidad on February 25, Carnival Tuesday, for Dubai where they embarked on a cruise on the Indian Ocean.
After the COVID-19 outbreak, they tried to make their way back to Trinidad but were unable to do so as this country’s borders closed at midnight on March 22 and they arrived in Barbados on March 23.
The Barbados government decided to keep the group in that country on humanitarian grounds and they underwent 14 days mandatory quarantine at the Sugar Cane Hotel and then almost another two weeks at the hotel while awaiting word from the Trinidad and Tobago Government as to whether they can return home.
The group was supposed to be tested for COVID-19 in Barbados and kits were sent by the T&T Government but that plan was scrapped after the Barbados government said they were short on swabs.
One family
On April 12, Young said the group will be allowed to enter the country and be tested here but added he won’t be sending a flight for them.
Ramdial said the T&T nationals has organised a farewell “thank you” function to show their love, gratitude and appreciation for the staff at the Sugar Cane Hotel who treated them like family.
He reiterated heartfelt thanks to the Barbados government and Prime Minister Mia Mottley for her compassion.
Speaking to the Express by phone yesterday, Ramdial said the hotel also showed their appreciation for the group and treated them to a complimentary dinner.
He said the group was together when he got the call from attorneys Prakash Ramadhar and Larry Lalla that permission was given.
“We feel very happy. In fact, when I gave them the good news at 4.10 p.m. everybody went into an uproar. Prakash could tell you that he was on the phone with me. It was a good feeling knowing we are finally going home. There is no place like home sweet home,” he said.
“When you reflect, they did a wonderful job, Minister Young, the Prime Minister. I want to thank them for giving us this privilege to be home again on our home soil,” he added.
Ramdial said it was not easy for him to see the sad faces, tears and distress of group members on a daily basis as they had no idea when they would have seen their homes again.
He said while they are prepared for testing and quarantine here they would prefer if they could quarantine at home as he pointed out they have spent almost a month in Barbados restricted to the hotel.
However, the Express was told by medical sources that Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram has advised that the group be quarantined in a State facility as a precaution.
Stateless citizens
Attorneys Ramadhar and Larry Lalla have been communicating with Young on behalf of the group.
Lalla said: “I’m very happy that these citizens are finally being allowed to return to sweet T&T. I don’t personally know any of them but got involved in their cause when I heard they were stranded in Barbados, were retirees, had left Trinidad on Carnival Tuesday, were on a cruise ship in South Africa on the Friday when it was announced that the borders would be closed on Sunday at midnight, and they had scampered back home from South Africa, but just couldn’t make it back on time. It was therefore not their fault that they were locked out of the country.”
He said 25 years ago, as a law student, he was taught that under the rules of international law a country could not make its citizens stateless and he was determined to see that T&T did not do so with these elderly citizens.
He said he immediately contacted MP Dr Roodal Moonilal and asked him to get involved and he did so without hesitation by issuing a statement.
He then spoke to MP Prakash Ramadhar about the cause. He said the process has been long.
“Personally, my satisfaction came today when I advised the group leader over the phone in Barbados that they would be coming home tomorrow. The whole group was having a prayer session at the time and the cheers of joy I heard from them in the background as the announcement was made brought a few tears to my eyes,” he said.
“I’m happy for them and all their sons, daughters, grand-children, relatives and friends who await them here in Trinidad.
I want to thank Minister Stuart Young and his staff for the assistance we had as well as Dr Roodal Moonilal, Mr Prakash Ramadhar and the Trinidad Express for all the support given to this patriotic cause. There’s no place like home!” said Lalla.
https://trinidadexpress.com/news/local/at-last/article_0de0d9e4-8370-11ea-9e0f-93dab80eb4f5.html
dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Dizzy28 wrote:dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Heaven forbid a stroke of bad luck/act of god/force majeure ever happen to you.
DTAC wrote:Dizzy28 wrote:dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Heaven forbid a stroke of bad luck/act of god/force majeure ever happen to you.
I think he means there is a good chance these 33 people will not adhere to a strict quarantine if left to isolate at home. If they left to quarantine at home, they'll just complain about that too. How their freedom is being restrictive and they have a right to go gallerying themselves.
dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Dizzy28 wrote:DTAC wrote:Dizzy28 wrote:dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Heaven forbid a stroke of bad luck/act of god/force majeure ever happen to you.
I think he means there is a good chance these 33 people will not adhere to a strict quarantine if left to isolate at home. If they left to quarantine at home, they'll just complain about that too. How their freedom is being restrictive and they have a right to go gallerying themselves.
You are allowed to complain once you comply though.
If most of Trinidad want to turn into Govnt cucks go ahead but it is a frightening trend that it has become taboo to mention or say anything that seems to be contrary to what the Governement is doing now.
As it is there are lots of govnt cucks on Tuner right now.
Gladiator wrote:I must admit ... the PNM playbook is a masterpiece. They have created such fear in the minds of people from COVID that they have total control of everything that their followers do, say and think. As you rightfully said, anything one says in disagreement with their approach is met with vicious attacks.
The more I look at what is happening worldwide I think that there is a hidden agenda by these Politicians. This is the perfect scenario to reduce the world population and create a welfare system of total Govt control. Everybody was confused when the PNM started creating unemployment by shutting down everything pre Covid .... COVID is now the perfect catalyst to kill everything now. Lets see where this goes... they sure not letting this crisis go to waste.Dizzy28 wrote:DTAC wrote:Dizzy28 wrote:dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Heaven forbid a stroke of bad luck/act of god/force majeure ever happen to you.
I think he means there is a good chance these 33 people will not adhere to a strict quarantine if left to isolate at home. If they left to quarantine at home, they'll just complain about that too. How their freedom is being restrictive and they have a right to go gallerying themselves.
You are allowed to complain once you comply though.
If most of Trinidad want to turn into Govnt cucks go ahead but it is a frightening trend that it has become taboo to mention or say anything that seems to be contrary to what the Governement is doing now.
As it is there are lots of govnt cucks on Tuner right now.
sMASH wrote:the goal is heard immunity,
MaxPower wrote:dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Tell me about it.
But I would like to commend Stuarty for holding firm with his decision to keep them out despite all the provoking rants towards him.
Let this be a lesson for all you irresponsible Trinis.
De Dragon wrote:MaxPower wrote:dean_spleen09 wrote:these pests getting to come back now want home quarantine ?
steups.
Tell me about it.
But I would like to commend Stuarty for holding firm with his decision to keep them out despite all the provoking rants towards him.
Let this be a lesson for all you irresponsible Trinis.
You do know Goebbels Young folded like a cheap suitcase in the end right?
Trinis return from Barbados
Ryan Hamilton
Sixteen of the 33 Trinidad and Tobago nationals who were among the people stranded in Barbados as a result of TT’s borders being closed because of covid19, landed at about 2pm at Piarco.
They came in on a chartered Caribbean Airlines flight, at their own expense, and were taken straight to the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua where they would be monitored.
The plane which brought them home, turned around shortly after to return to Barbados to bring home the remaining 17.
The group went on a cruise in Dubai and were trying to make their way back to the country before the borders were closed on March 23 but failed to do so and were stuck in Barbados.
DTAC wrote:Look at it this way. there are almost 700,000 people recovered. If these 700,000 people were found to be immune, that fact would be on the front page of every newspaper and website on Earth.
K74T wrote:1 additional case 5C6BF724-DE66-4601-810B-7E151788D671.jpeg
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