TT’s first recorded case of the omicron variant is an imported one. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh reported this during the ministry's virtual covid19 briefing on Monday.

He said the case was detected in a woman, a TT national, who departed New York on December 9.

“This is the disturbing part. In New York, she was allowed to board a flight with a positive PCR test, in contravention of our TTravel Pass regulations.

"The person then travelled to Panama, where they presented a negative antigen test, and then flew to Trinidad.

"Luckily our Trinidad Port Health picked up the fact that this person was allowed to board with a positive PCR test. The last barrier, or check and balance, in Trinidad, at Piarco, worked –and I want to congratulate our Port Health officers. who have been doing a wonderful job in screening passengers coming in, even though they have been subject to abuse.

He said the woman was "immediately isolated in a step-down facility and continues to be isolated. She is vaccinated.”

Deyalsingh said in conformity with international travel regulations, when there is a case of an infectious disease on board an aircraft, the protocols are that everyone within a two-row radius is quarantined.

“That is, those two rows ahead, two rows behind, and two rows on either side have been quarantined at home.

"Luckily all 14 had negative PCR tests, all are fully vaccinated.

"They are in quarantine," he repeated, "and will be monitored.”

Deyalsingh said he had spoken to the National Security Minister about the incident on Monday, as there are several areas in which penalties could be issued.

“The Health Ministry will be providing to the National Security Minister the name of the person, the airline – because they have some liability in this – and the person for doing what they did.

"When he gets the information, his ministry will do all the backtracking to see which airline it was, if it was the same airline from New York to Panama, then from Panama to here. If there is any lapse along that chain that carries a fine or charge, that will be that ministry’s responsibility to work with the international agencies to bring penalties and/or charges to bear.”

The TTravel Pass website says, “It is a criminal offence to load, present false documentation (such as vaccination records, or covid19 test certificates) or make false statutory declarations. If charged and found guilty, you may be subject to a penalty of $350,000 and six months in jail on summary conviction.”

Speaking in Parliament later in response to an urgent question by Caroni East MP Dr Rishad Seecharan, Deyalsingh explained how the TTravel Pass worked.

“All individuals using TTravel Pass must answer a questionnaire as truthfully as humanly possible, or truthfully.

"To support those truthful answers, the individual is supposed to upload their documents to support and validate what they answer.

"At the check-in counter with the airline, the airline is supposed to scrutinise the hard copies at both the port of embarkation in New Yor