COVID-19 Task Force approves return of stranded Guyanese law students, cruise ship workers

…return of Komal Chand’s body also approved
…as Carter Center remains barred

The National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has met and granted approval for a number of requests, including the repatriation of Guyanese students stranded in Trinidad and the return of the body of late union leader Komal Chand.
This was announced following the Task Force’s virtual statutory meeting. One of the requests they deliberated on is a possible phased reopening of the airspace and economy post-June 3. But according to the Task Force, further deliberations are needed.
What they did decide, however, was to allow a number of Guyanese to return home, including 19 Guyanese students from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and 70 Guyanese cruise ship workers attached to Royal Caribbean.
In addition, the Task Force approved applications from four Guyanese in St Vincent to return home via SVG Air. Applications from 10 Guyanese in St Maarten to return were also approved.

Komal Chand
The NCTF also announced their approval of a request for the return of the body of late Guyana Agriculture and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) President Komal Chand, accompanied by his widow, from Cuba.
Chand, also a former Member of Parliament for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), died on April 8, 2020, whilst receiving medical attention in Cuba. Subsequent requests from his family and the Union he belonged to for the body and his widow to be returned to Guyana were denied by the Government.
The Union had said that one reason given for the denial is that had the Government allowed the body to be flown in, it would open the door to other requests for citizens abroad to be repatriated back home.

Caricom
Meanwhile, the Task Force also approved an application from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) for a team of officials based in Guyana to travel to Suriname to observe the Surinamese election scheduled for May 25 and return to Guyana.
However, the Task Force took pains to warn that “the approvals are subject to the satisfaction of all requirements of the Ministry of Public Health and other relevant Ministries and agencies, and the cost of return being covered by the applicants.”
“All approvals are subject to: All requirements of the Ministry of Public Health and other relevant Ministries and agencies being fulfilled. Results of COVID-19 tests being provided 48 hours in advance of arrival.”
They warned that if a pre-test is not available, prior written consent is required from each arriving passenger for quarantine if deemed necessary by the Public Health Ministry. They also emphasised that the applicants or their employers have to bear all costs for their return.
The Task Force noted that an application from Caribbean Princess cruise line for 63 Guyanese crew members to return via sea was not approved.
The Task Force cited the risks involved with seaport entry, but noted that they would be open to considering an application for these crew members to return by air.

Unicomer/Courts
“The NCTF also approved an application from Unicomer Guyana to open eight of their Courts stores for the purpose of receiving monthly instalment payments only from customers. This approval was granted for Monday to Friday openings during the non-curfew hours, and is effective from Wednesday, May 20 subject to fulfilment of all requirements.”
According to the NCTF, this approval is for Courts’ Main Street, Georgetown, Bartica, Richmond, Essequibo Coast, Linden, Mahaica, Parika, New Amsterdam and Diamond locations.

Carter Center barred
These approvals came just a day after the caretaker APNU/AFC coalition Government
denied a request by the United States Embassy in Georgetown to repatriate its citizens stranded here amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is despite the fact that the Government had approved requests for six previous relief flights out of Guyana. In fact, the US mission had previously assisted over 1000 US citizens as well as others, including Canadians and British citizens, to fly to the US.
The Carter Center and the International Republican Institute (IRI), meanwhile, also remain barred from entering Guyana to continue their observation of the National Recount being conducted by the Guyana Elections Commission.
Last week, it was revealed by US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, that her office, as well as The Carter Center from the US, had made a second request to the Guyana Government for the organisation’s Electoral Observer Mission (EOM) as well as IRI advisors to return to Georgetown.
But despite the observers committing to the necessary COVID-19 protocols in place, caretaker Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Karen Cummings in a letter dated Friday, May 15, 2020, informed the US Ambassador that “…it may not be possible for The Carter Center and the IRI advisor to participate in the overseeing of the recount of the votes cast on 2nd March 2020 General and Regional Elections which as you are aware has already commenced.”