The government appears to have given a final position on whether returning nationals will be quarantined for 14 days.
“All returning nationals who eventually will come to live with us within the domestic society, on their return, must be quarantine for 14 days,” Prime minister Gaston Browne told parliament moments ago.
He said, “this is a protective mechanism, to protect the domestic population from contracting covid. This is not a punitive situation.”
The quarantine will be in addition to the rapid tests which will be performed at the airport.
He said those placed in quarantine will also have to pay for the service because the government cannot afford to give anyone a free vacation.
“What we have said is that we will charge a sum for those individuals who will be quarantined within those bio-secure spaces.”
The prime minister said the fee will be around 100 eastern Caribbean dollars or less.
The government will absorb the cost for students, Browne revealed.
Residents are being quarantined at the Hawksbill Hotel and other facilities.
Approximately 189 passengers are scheduled to disembark the American Airlines (AA) flight on Thursday night. As many as 150 passengers are returning nationals; the others are a sprinkling of visitors heading to hotels. There are AA flights scheduled each week for the month of June 2020 with declining reservation numbers booked thus far.