Passenger tested positive for Omicron in Trinidad, special police investigation team constituted

Trinidad and Tobago police authorities have constituted an investigative team to look the woman who went against the islands’ travel protocols and entered the borders despite being tested positive for Omicron, bringing the first case of a new variant in the island. 

The information was provided by the Minister of Health DeyalSingh. 

ACP Williams would be leading the team. The woman managed to board a flight from New York and then to Panama. However, she presented a negative Rapid Antigen Test to the authorities there; as per the travel protocols of Trinidad and Tobago, the woman had to show a negative RT-PCR test. 

Minister DeyalSingh, while informing, noted soon after the authorities took note of a positive test, following which the lady was immediately tested (on December 10, the result came on the next day) and then sent to isolation. 

He stated, “The woman was flagged at the airport, and once the individual was flagged, our protocols worked and hats off to our port health workers, and the person was sent immediately to a step-down facility. So at no point in time was anybody in the general public, her family, village, community exposed to her“. 

The other passengers who were on board with her have also been advised to isolate themselves. 

Earlier this week only, Cuba recorded the first case of the new Omicron COVID variant in the Caribbean region. The health ministry will continue to provide an update on the matter. 

Minister DeyalSingh furthermore urged the general public to follow the COVID-19 protocols such as wearing masks, maintaining a social distance and sanitizing frequently, and taking their jabs of the COVID-19 Vaccine. 

A total of 654,287 citizens are vaccinated by taking atleast one dose of the COVID-19 Vaccine. On the other hand, in total, 656,926 residents have received their required number of the COVID-19 jabs and are now fully inoculated against the deadliest virus.