Last Updated on April 22, 2020, 7:22 AM AST by Anthony Morris
American carrier JetBlue landed in Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture airport over the weekend to fly American citizens and the residents of the United States.
These persons had been stuck in Haiti after the Government had closed the airport on March 16 as part of the efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
The Prime Minister has said that the new restrictions would be taking effect from Monday at midnight and the restrictions are aimed to keep the coronavirus pandemic, out of Haiti.
The Embassy of the US in Port-au-Prince had made the announcement regarding the JetBlue flight on Twitter.
The American and Haitian aviation officials had approved the flight which took the persons out of Haiti.
The tweet said that the Jet Blue Airways had been authorized to operate a flight from Port-au-Prince to Fort Lauderdale, on Saturday, April 18.
The tweet added that the American citizens who wished to return to the US should plan to do so immediately and that the Embassy is not aware of any flights from Haiti to the United States being authorized in the future.
A subsequent tweet was posted in Creole, which advised the American citizens wanting to return to the US to book their tickets as soon as possible.
About 100 passengers had boarded the flight to Fort Lauderdale, on Saturday.
A passenger wearing a mask said that he was not afraid and that he knows what to do and how to protect himself.
Another passenger, who was wearing a white T-shirt and a black scarf around his neck, said that everything that he owns is in the United States.
Some passengers said that they had decided to fly out of Haiti not out of fear of catching coronavirus, but rather because they had important matters that needed their attention.
Some said that their families wanted them to return home.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
