One hundred Dominican students studying abroad are returning back home via two chartered air flights. Education Minister Octavia Alfred said the students are coming back from Fort Lauderdale and San Juan. She said the first flight from Fort Lauderdale will bring in only 50 people because of seating distancing on June 9, and the San Juan flight will bring in 20 students.
The remaining students will arrive to the country on June 24. Silver Airways has been hired for the purpose.
Alfred said the students will be mandated to observe 14 days of compulsory quarantine after they arrive in Dominica, and they will be required to also wear face masks, wash their hands regularly, and adhere to social distancing.
She said the education ministry wants to bring home all Dominican students studying abroad if they ever wish to return, but the effort is getting more challenging because some students who earlier declined to return have changed their minds. She added that some students who did not fill out the fact-finding form provided online have also indicated their interests to return home to the country following initial refusal.
She said the first batch of students who did things accordingly will be given priority in being returned home, while those that did not follow instructions or changed their minds later will be given second priority.
“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.”
This article is copyright © 2020 DOM767
