There is no spread of the coronavirus in Trinidad and Tobago because we have no cases, Dr Rohan Parasram. Chief Medical Officer (CMO), the Ministry of Health told a Joint Select Committee of Parliament on Wednesday.

He was part of a team of people who appeared before the committee to explain Trinidad and Tobago’s response to the scare.

As of  Tuesday, there are no cases of coronavirus in Trinidad and  Tobago after passengers from 457 flights were screened at the airports.

In excess of 34,000 passengers and airline crew members were screened, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Asif Ali,  told the JSC this morning.

One passenger was refused entry and returned to her port of embarkation, in Guyana, even though she had no fever and exhibited no symptoms.

The CMO assured that officers at the Piarco International Airport took necessary precautions adding that the passenger was taken to the Port Health Unit where there are two isolation beds  and where she stayed until she was meant to depart.

The staff did not have direct contact with her but have been asked to monitor themselves.

The passenger left China on January 29th and travelled to  Hong Kong and New York and then spent a short period of time in Guyana before coming to Trinidad.

The Port health determined that she did not have contact with anyone who was ill at the time that she was in China.

There is exit screening in China and the fact that people are not allowed to leave the affected region.

In this case, the authorities in Guyana are expected to report to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

While there is not yet enough research available on the coronavirus it is feared that from the day of actual exposure you may be able to transmit.

The CMO noted that only way you can get the virus at this point is if you have contact with a country that has an ongoing transmission.

‘If you have no contact of any sort you can assume generally that you do not have the coronavirus,” he said.