Yesterday Trinidad and Tobago, already in the throes of the deadly COVID-19 virus, received the news that the first case of the Omicron variant had reached our shores.
The variant has already claimed the life of at least one person in London and is said to be three times as easily transmissible than the Delta variant.
The medical world can’t say with certainty how deadly this variant is, but what we do know is that the best protection against all variants and against the virus itself is vaccination.
It was heartening to see hundreds rushing to the Southern Academy of Performing Arts yesterday to get booster shots. But it continues to be a grave matter of concern that hundreds of thousands of citizens continue to resist all appeals for them to get vaccinated.
Now that Omicron is here, and given the international statistics on the ease of the transmission, one can only hope that at least some of the hesitant will give themselves a fighting chance.
T&T must be concerned with the ease with which the variant found its way here. A national was able to leave New York for Panama with a positive PCR test and left Panama for T&T with a negative rapid antigen test.
It means that this person knew fully well what they were doing and committed the wrongdoing without thinking about the consequences, not just to herself, but to those who were on the flight with her and those with whom she came into contact.
It is only at Piarco International Airport that the discrepancy was picked up and the woman was isolated.
This was not just crass carelessness and deceit on the part of the woman but one can’t help but wonder about the international travel standards that would so leave the door open for a PCR positive patient to go from New York to Panama and land in Trinidad.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said the traveller can be charged for breaching the travel pass, which carries a fine of TT$350,000 and imprisonment for six months.
While the law must take its course and this woman should not go unpunished for her selfish act. Currently, 14 people who were in close proximity to the woman have been tested and have produced negative PCR tests. They, however, remain in quarantine and will continue to be monitored. Thankfully they are all vaccinated.
It is now up to the authorities to ensure that this type of breach does not occur again. Local authorities must work with their international counterparts to ensure that protocols are followed.
National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds told Guardian Media the government will be reaffirming and restating the country’s entry protocols to the respective airlines.
Would that be enough to ensure what happened on Thursday, December 9 does not happen again?
One must thank those at the airport who acted swiftly and the lab that brought back the positive Omicron result within 24 hours.
T&T now has the unique honour of being second only to Bermuda with an Omicron case in the region.
Last weekend Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley hinted that government may go the route of making the public service a safe zone. It is long in coming and much needed if we are to get the level of protection required to stop the continued spread of this virus.