“How do you balance the list? How do you balance the person who went out for two weeks, ended up having a baby out there- has postpartum issues and is suffering from depression- with someone who now runs to the media to claim they need to come home immediately?”

This was the question posed by National Security Minister Stuart Young, as he  reaffirmed government’s intention to allow “each and every one” of the Trinidad and Tobago  nationals abroad to return home- stressing that process the process must, however, continue to be managed on a case by case basis, to avoid a crippling of the public health system.

To date, exemptions have been granted to 4,515 nationals; Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley estimated that the number of nationals who were caught “on the wrong side of the fence” when borders closed on March 23rd was between 8-10,000.

Minister Young was speaking at Wednesday’s COVID-19 virtual media conference, where he revealed that 76 nationals were being repatriated from Grenada on the afternoon of the same date.

Of that number, 72 persons will be housed in state quarantine facilities (Debe and Tacarigua) while the four others being allowed to enter state supervised quarantine (these people will be paying for their own stay at a hotel and quarantining under the state’s supervision).

The group consists of 25 students and 10 faculty members.

On Friday, a Caribbean Airlines flight will repatriate 71 nationals who are currently in Canada. Of that number, 19 will spend their quarantine in a state supervised environment.