– Following meetings with GCAA, MOH and stakeholders
Guyana’s two international airports have been reopened to ‘controlled’ international air travel, cargo and medivac flights, technical stops for fuel only, authorized repatriation flights for returning Guyanese and special authorized flights, amid strict public health requirements in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field said with the official opening of the airports on Monday, passengers travelling to Guyana must do a molecular PCR test (PCR COVID-19 test). If completed within 72 hours of the flight and the result of that test is negative, the passenger will be free to leave the airport after arrival. However, if the PCR test is done within four to seven (4-7) days of travel, the passenger will be required to do another test upon arrival in Guyana, notwithstanding the earlier negative result.
Guyana’s airports were closed to international flights on March 18, 2020 after Guyana imported its first case of the Coronavirus Disease. During that time, facilities at the two Airports were modified to facilitate all health protocols including the installation of sanitization stations at the entrances of the Airports’ terminal buildings and social distancing markers on floors and seats in the arrival and departure terminals.
Additionally, the GCAA has developed Standard Operating Procedures and is implementing the Gazetted COVID-19 Emergency Regulations to support the implementation of the SOPs. The GCAA’s efforts include the installation of signage and appropriate seating, cleaning of the Airport’s public areas, aircraft operators, immigration personnel, transporting of humans remains, flight crew procedures, processing of arriving passengers, border control and sensitization.
The GCAA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, CJIA and the EFCIA officials also conducted several inspections to assess the Airports’ readiness for the reopening. Incoming International flights will be scheduled to avoid overcrowding at the airports.
The GCAA said it will continue to work with all stakeholders to preserve the health and wellbeing of all travelers to Guyana and will continuously evaluate the measures in place during this pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Eugene F. Correia International Airport (EFCIA) in a separate statement said it held an onsite meeting at the Airport’s International Terminal with officials of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the Ministry of Health (MOH), Eureka Medical Laboratory (EML) and the Chairman and Management of the Airport, to review the arrangements in place for the opening of the Airport to international commercial flights.
“The EFCIA, in collaboration with Eureka Medical Laboratory, will be fully equipped to carry out the sampling for the PCR COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving at the Airport when the Airport opens tomorrow (Wednesday, 14th October),” the statement said.
Mr. Michael O. Correia (Jnr), Chairman of the Board, Ogle Airport Inc. (OAI), Col (Ret’d) Anthony Mekdeci, Chief Executive Officer & Project Coordinator, OAI, Mr. Abraham Doris, Director of Aviation Safety and Security (ag), GCAA, Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Ministry of Health, Mr. Andrew Boyle, Chief Executive Officer, Eureka Medical Laboratory and Mr. Kit Nascimento, Public Communications Consultant, OAI attended the meeting which reviewed the COVID-19 protocols and regulations established by the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, for governing the commercial operations of the Airport.
