ANGUILLA--According to a report from Deputy Governor Perin Bradley, some 370 persons from fifteen different countries have applied to return to Anguilla. Of these, 138 applications have so far been processed and cleared for return to the island and eight have already been repatriated.
A repatriation team has been established headed by Bradley and including public officers from Public Administration, the Ministry of Health and the Department of Disaster Management. Anguillians are the first to be repatriated, followed by permanent residents and those holding work permits. Priority is being given to those from countries with no active cases and having direct travel from Caribbean countries. These persons are expected to be able to self-quarantine. The second group is Anguillian students from countries with higher transmission rates, including from the UK and the USA, and these will be quarantined in a government-approved and -monitored facility.
Health and immigration checks will be made before final travel plans are approved. Immediately on arrival they will be assessed by medical personnel and tested for COVID-19. Health professionals will monitor everyone throughout their quarantine.
Bradley said the repatriation management team is working in earnest to reunite families, strictly and only in accordance with the order of prioritisation set out. “This is a complicated process because of the many travel restrictions imposed by countries around the world, including those through which our people will need to transit,” he said.
