Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has revealed that 11 persons have been tested positive for Covid-19 upon their arrival in Guyana at the two international airports
During his daily Covid-19 update today (Thursday) Dr Anthony noted that since the programme started which required passengers to be tested upon their arrival in Guyana, more than 1000 tests were carried out.
He explained that continuous monitoring is done at the airports and once a person who is tested positive is detected, the Government has an obligation to take certain action.
“We have to do contact tracing for the persons who these passengers would have been in contact with on the flight coming, where they have been sitting, the passenger that sat around them would have to be informed, both infront, the side and the back.”
The Minister further noted that based on the Government’s international obligations and agreements regarding international health regulations, it is obligated to notify the country of origin that a passenger has tested positive for the virus.
“So we have been utilising these systems and informing our counterparts in other countries about the cases that have been imported so far,” the Minister highlighted.
Incoming passengers are expected to present a negative PCR test, done within 72 hours upon arrival in Guyana. If that period has elapsed, they are required to undertake another test at the airport which must show negative before they are allowed to leave for their destination.
That second test is being provided by the private sector and the cost is borne by the passenger.
