The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with other relevant ministries, has begun the process of repatriating students studying overseas. This process will begin with the repatriation of 100 students who will arrive on Tuesday, June 9 via Silver Airways.
” The government has secured two flights, operated by Silver Airlines, to take the first group of students in on Tuesday, June 9, 2020,” Education Minister, Octavia Alfred, said at a COVID-19 media briefing on Friday. “One flight will leave Fort Lauderdale with 50 students. Although the flight has a capacity of seventy, regulations require that only 50 can embark on this port.”
She said another 20 students will board the flight in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
“On that same day, another group of students will board a second flight leaving San Juan at 1:00 pm,” Alfred added. “This means that, by the grace of God, 100 of our precious students will be home.”
According to the minister, the students will be expected to follow the protocols which are in place for arrival in Dominica.
These include wearing a face mask, exercising hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette, undergoing screening to include a COVID-19 test and undergoing a 14-day quarantine.
Alfred said more students will arrive on June 24.
However, she said the ministry of education is now faced with the challenge of repatriating some students who had previously indicated that they did not want to come home and those who did not fill in the fact-finding form provided online by her ministry and who are now interested in coming home.
“We will take the data of these students and try our best to facilitate them as soon as we possibly can,” Alfred stated. “However, we must deal with the students who have been enquiring and waiting to return home first.”
Am a Dominican stuck in the USVI since March 2020. I need to return home too. What do i do?
I`m here since February and would really like to get out and back to work
Bossman, Mr Dominica, Camaran Woods, Three arrogant and selfish people you lots only thinking of your selfs and to hell with others Dominica borders with stay shut on till further notice and safe to do so. If thinks goes wrong you guys will be the first to be criticizing the authorities I am sure more from the so-called Workers idiotic comedians followers will come on board with stupid comments all are welcome!!
I dedicate this Bob Marley song to the very coward afraid prime minister that is hiding behind the locks of covid-19:
Chorus]
You running and you running
And you running away
But you can’t run away from yourself
[Verse 1]
You must have done (must have done)
Something wrong (something wrong)
Said: you must have done (must have done)
Wo! Something wrong (something wrong)
Why you can’t find the
Place where you belong?
Brr – you must have done somet’in’ –
Somet’in’ – somet’in’ – somet’in’ –
Somet’in’ ya don’t want nobody to know about:
Ya must have, Lord – somet’in’ wrong,
What ya must have done – ya must have done somet’in’ wrong.
Why you can’t find where you belong?
Brr Well, well, well, well, ya running away, heh, no –
Ya running away, ooh, no, no, no,
I’m not (running away), no, don’t say that – don’t say that,
‘Cause (running away) I’m not running away, ooh! (running away)
I’ve got to protect my life, (running away)
And I don’t…
Good for those students but at this time the airport and sea ports should be opened to all Dominicans that want to come home. Yes we had to close down for covid-19 but 3 months now we should be able to come home as long as we are Dominicans. Yes, when it’s pouring we all have to take shelter; but the moment the rain eases we want to run in. Maybe this is the calm of covid-19 so we need to rub home Skerrit. If elections were next week I am sure the ports would be opened to at least accommodate laborites. I believe Skerrit is afraid of something far more than covid-19 why he not opening the port so Dominicans could come in. Is he afraid that if the airport is opened foreign law agencies may come in and probably go with who they have to go with? I am not sure but definitely Skerrit is afraid of something why he is not opening the ports and I know it’s not covid-19 he is afraid of. You can run as much as you want and hide as much as you want but you can’t run and hide forever
Can y’all also pay the contractually owed stipend to the students in Cuba who are living in a severe economic crisis amidst the pandemic, and which was due in January. Thanks
It’s only 400 USD for six months, it means a lot to the students please some of us that is critical to our survival
Listened to your press conference and once again no mention of US citizens who are stuck here and want to go home! What about us!!!
@Matt, This is the U.S responsibility to get its citizens out and not the Dominican government. Try talking to big mouth Trump, but do not hold your breath otherwise you will be dead.
Dominica government have handle this covid-19 pandemic very well. I think, it is time or at most June ending, the government should partially opened the borders and let various nationals stuck here to return home. Or the OECS Islands should partially open their borders and Liat fly them home.
All students must show signed certificates verifying that, they have been tested and are free from the VIRUS before boarding the plane. In the event, anyone should test positive, we can trace it from the plane or on our shores. Just a thought.
Dominica government have handle this covid-19 pandemic very well. I think, it is time or at least June ending, the government should partially opened the borders and let various nationals stuck here to return home. Or the OECS Islands should partially open their borders and Liat fly them home.
Woods i have the same question what about those of us in the US A who need to take care of our properties in Dominica how long do we have to wait?
As far as I know these chartered planes will be returning to the USA empty. Perhaps an arrangement can be made for you to fly to Fort Lauderdale and make your way from there.
Once again y’all letting these students come back home what about the U.S Citizens who still stuck down here it’s not fair as much as they wanna get home we want to get back home too nonsense
Come on..These students? Not fair?? US citizens are the responsibility of the US Government…NOT the Government of Dominica. Our duty is to ‘these students’ i.e. our citizens., as organized by the Dominican officials. I would think there is an official US presence here or through your embassy in Barbados. They will make an official request from the Government and arrange to repatriate US citizens as per C19 rules and regulations. . It was done in Anguilla. Simple. Good luck.
In as much as I am happy for the Dominica students, I am also asking myself what the hell Skerrit has hiding that he does not open the damn airport so at least Dominicans could come home? It cannot be for control of corona virus because Chinese have never stopped landing under the disguise of medical personnel. St Lucia, Grenada and Antigua are all opened not just to their nationals but for tourism! I am not suggesting that our airport should be opened for tourism but at least, Skerrit should realize that many Dominicans got stock abroad because of covid-19 and in some cases they are are burden to friends and families in a house without money. Further more many with foreign passport want to come home to visit families. I mean the protocol is to quarantine for 14 days so just open the damn airport so persons could come in man. We could get to those neighboring islands but can’t get home. If we come through back door you will jail us. What the hell you hiding u don’t want us to see?
The US government should do the same an organize repatriation, dont you think? Didnt they evacuate their citizens from China at the drop of a hat? Are you asking the govt to Dominican to open borders or to take them home?