Caribbean Airlines Crew Members in Self-Quarantine Following Death of Passenger Who Had Coronavirus

Caribbean Airlines (CAL) says 13 crew members are in self-quarantine for two weeks, following confirmation that a passenger had tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Guyana.

The 52-year-old woman died earlier this week, becoming the region’s first COVID-19-related death.

She had travelled on March 7 on Caribbean Airlines flight BW521 from John F. Kennedy, International Airport, New York to Piarco International Airport, Trinidad in transit to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana.

“Caribbean Airlines assures all stakeholders that the safety, security and good health of its customers and employees is its highest priority and when the information on the passenger was received, immediate action was taken,” the Trinidad and Tobago-owned carrier said in a statement.

“In accordance with established protocols the Public Health Authorities have advised that as a precaution, the 13 crew members associated with the flights be placed on self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. This was done, and the employees will be assessed and monitored by the Public Health Authorities in keeping with the directives from the Ministry of Health.”

The airline added that the Public Health Authorities are also contacting all persons who may possibly have been affected.

In addition to the daily cleaning at all ports in keeping with industry standards, CAL said, additional sanitization processes were used as outlined by the regulatory authorities.

It assured all stakeholders that it continues to actively monitor and respond to the evolving COVID-19 issue to ensure the safety and good health of its customers and employees.

Meantime, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport has adopted a watch list of 15 countries from where passengers will be flagged before entering the country. These countries include China, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Italy, Iran, France, Germany, Spain, United States, and Jamaica.