Trinis back home after being stranded here

The 33 elderly Trinidadians who were stranded in Barbados for 29 days, 14 in mandatory quarantine, landed on Trinidadian soil earlier this afternoon and were immediately put back in quarantine.

The CARICOM neighbours, who arrived in Barbados on March 23 via London from a Dubai cruise, a day after their government closed its borders to protect the country from the spread of the COVID-19 virus, departed Grantley Adams International Airport this afternoon in two batches.

The first group of 17 journeyed from their quarantine facility at the Sugar Cane Club Hotel Resort and Spa in St Peter, leaving Barbados around 1:20 p.m., more than three hours behind schedule because their government insisted they be tested.

As the first batch was preparing to catch their 18-seater One Caribbean Airline chartered flight for 10:30 am, Medical Officer of Health in Charge of Ports Dr Manohar Singh arrived on the scene with instructions that all 33 must be tested at the nearby Paragon military facility before boarding the plane.

Within minutes, a maxi taxi arrived and took them to the facility for the procedure. They were all negative for the virus.

Dr Singh revealed to Barbados TODAY that only one of the Trinidadians was tested for COVID-19 while in quarantine because that person, who suffers from a sinus ailment, was concerned about their status. However, the medical officer said, the test was negative.

He noted that today’s testing was an agreement with the Trinidad authorities.

Media colleagues at the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian newspaper reported that the first group touched down at Piarco International Airport at 2:05 p.m. and were immediately ushered into a bus and escorted by members of the police service and defence force to be quarantined at the Racket Centre in Tacarigua.

The Guardian report said they are expected to spend a minimum of two weeks in quarantine.

The second group of 16, was scheduled to leave the airport at about 1 p.m. on the same aircraft, but they were delayed by more than two hours. They were driven directly to the testing site before going to the airport.

Dr Singh confirmed that all the Trinidadians tested negative for the virus.

That second batch, including the team leader Phillip Ramdial and his wife Ann, arrived back in Trinidad at about 4:25 p.m. and were taken to the same quarantine centre.

The nationals had initially been denied entry into their homeland after the borders were closed, but recently the national security minister Stuart Young announced they could return but had to be tested here first before being allowed in.

Ramdial told Barbados TODAY he was looking forward to getting back home, while his wife said she wanted to return to a normal life.

They both again showered praises on the Barbadian authorities for their hospitality as well as the Sugar Cane Resort staff and management pointing out that they plan to return here for another stay at the same hotel.

“Barbados is a home away from home,” said Mohan Panchoo a 70-year-old retired oil company worker in Trinidad.

“Right now I feel good. I feel happy that I am going back home. I was happy while I was here with Barbados’ people. But obviously, we need to get back home. Many of our people are very senior people and they need to get back into their rhythm and their medication,” said the former industry veteran of 40 years’ service.
emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb