Fifty-one Immigration Officers are tasked with balancing the five shift system at the Piarco International Airport- which is usually shared amongst 90 officers, given 11 members of staff have tested positive for Covid-19 and 28 others have been sent into quarantine.

The information came from National Security Minister Stuart Young as he responded to a question during  Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives. 

“In that assignment of officers they are working five shifts at 10 per shift. And in the current circumstances I’m informed that this is sufficient. There was a decision taken not to have a rotation of staff from March 1st as would normally happen which would be brining of staff from other areas of immigration, which is what would normally happen…” he told the House. 

Because of the significant decline in airport activity due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Minister Young said the rotation could be managed with the current staff available. 

“There is no longer the daily requirement of a full amount of Immigration officers because of the lack of flights into and out of Piarco,” he said. 

Opposition MP for Barataria/San Juan then asked the Minister about reports that the officers had been placed at risk due to insufficient supply of PPE while working- something the Minister denied.

“Madam Speaker, I’m not sure where the member is getting this lack of PPE equipment being provided… For the period January 4th to February 24 of this year, 1000 gloves…210 surgical masks…140 bottles of hand sanitizers…20 spray cans of disinfectant.”

In addition to that PPE, it is the responsibility of the Airport Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to sanitize the common areas at the Airport and I am informed that they do this sanitization,” he ended.