From Jamaica Gleaner

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority says airlines operating in the country along with airport staff and pilots will soon be required to comply with COVID-19 regulations, as the regulatory body moves forward with developing a draft document.

Speaking at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Saturday after the arrival of Guyanese who were stranded in Miami, the authority’s Director General Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field said the regulations are necessary to bolster current procedures.

The procedures were finalised by the authority as part of the first of the 4-phased blueprint under consideration by the National COVID-19 Task Force.

The blueprint is expected to guide the reopening of the nation’s two main airports to international travel.

“Should individuals not conform to the measures outlined, there must be a document that you can refer to and say ‘listen, you’re accountable to this section and if you transgress this section you must be able to face some kind of penalty’,” Field explained.

“Whether it be the airport, the airline or the pilots, either suspension of license, suspension of operating certificate [etcetera],”  Field continued.

Field said the development of the regulations will be done through meaningful consultations with stakeholders.

On March 18, Guyana closed its airports to international travel as part of its fight against COVID-19. 

The closure was recently extended to June 17 as part of the country’s emergency measures.

For more on this story go to: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/caribbean/20200607/aviation-authority-guyana-draft-strict-covid-19-regulations