The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supplied a suite of hygiene and screening equipment to the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to support COVID-19 surveillance at the Piarco International Airport and the ANR Robinson International Airport.

The equipment, which was handed over during a brief ceremony at the Piarco International Airport on Thursday, January 28, included free-standing hand sanitizer stations with automatic dispensers, wall-mounted automatic hand sanitizer dispensers, 3D hand sanitizer wall signs, framed tempered glass sneeze guards, standing banners displaying health guidelines and standing customer service desks.

"No country can do it on their own. We need to have a coordinated response. For the Authority it is important to tackle the pandemic on a regional level, and partnerships like this increase the confidence of travelers, migrants and citizens alike, that they will reach their destinations safely," said Kurt Menal, Deputy General Manager of Operations at Piarco International Airport.

Migration and mobility are increasingly recognized as determinants of health and risk exposure. IOM plays a crucial role in linking an understanding of population mobility with disease surveillance and has committed to enhancing Trinidad and Tobago's national capacity systems.

"International human mobility has been drastically reduced with border closures and travel restrictions at an unprecedented scale. The pandemic demonstrates the need for healthy security that promotes safe, regular, and orderly migration,” said Jewel Ali, IOM Port of Spain Head of Office.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, IOM has worked to ensure a well-coordinated, comprehensive, equitable and timely response to the crisis to halt further transmission of the disease and limit the humanitarian and socioeconomic effects of the pandemic, and support communities in their long-term recovery.

"The United States is committed to helping our partners and allies tackle Covid-19 as the public health risk it raises. We look forward to the days - hopefully soon - when we can enjoy safe and open travel between our countries," said Shante Moore, Chargé d'Affaires for the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago.

This initiative was made possible through the financial support granted by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) of the United States Department of State.