Haiti has closed its two international airports in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien to all commercial flights, reversing an earlier decision that allowed flights from Cuba and the United States.
President Jovenel Moïse made the announcement late Thursday after declaring a countrywide state of emergency and confirming the country’s first two COVID-19 cases. Moïse said the confirmations were made by the country’s National Laboratory. He did not provide any details on the age of the patients, their travel histories or if the cases are community transmissions.
The lack of information triggered a flurry of rumors that led to the French Embassy in Port-au-Prince taking to Twitter to formally deny “false rumors” that one of the individuals who tested positive for the coronavirus is of French nationality.
In an interview on Magik9 radio, Education Minister Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet refused to say whether the two positive cases were foreigners or Haitians, or where they had traveled from. He said only that they were abroad an were placed under quarantine by authorities after they were suspected of having the coronavirus. He would not provide any additional information.
The abrupt closure of Haiti’s airports shuts the country off from its largest diasporas in New York and Florida, where the number of COVID-19 cases are quickly rising. But it also leaves hundreds of travelers stranded both in Haiti and the United States, with the land border with the Dominican Republic closed and the Dominican Republic also shut off to international flights.
In a posting on its website, the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince told U.S. citizens that as a result of the closure of the country’s airports, along with its ports and borders, they should check with their airlines regarding any updated information about their travel plans and/or restrictions. For emergencies they can also call +509-2229-8900 or email acspap@state.gov
Haitian government spokesman Eddy Jackson Alexis said the suspension of flights went into effect as of 12:01 a.m. Friday and is expected to last for a month. American Airlines on Thursday informed passengers scheduled to fly on Friday that their Haiti-bound flights were canceled.
Martha Pantin, a spokeswoman for American Airlines, said the carrier will fly empty planes to Port-au-Prince on Monday and Tuesday to ferry out U.S. citizens and permanent residents. There will be two flights each day, and one-way tickets can be purchased on AA.com.
In his national address, Moïse asked Haitians to remain calm and said the country had effectively moved from stage 1 to stage 2 in the pandemic, which doesn’t discriminate.
“It doesn’t know rich; it doesn’t know people who are poor,” he said, warning that all Haitians were vulnerable to infections.
In addition to the suspension of commercial flights, all schools and factories were closed as of Friday and an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew was imposed. Also, all public gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited, Moïse said. These measures are in addition to a closure of the country’s border with the Dominican Republic, which had already been already announced.
This story was originally published March 20, 2020 8:39 AM.
