#Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands – July 2, 2020 – Safe accommodations and a rescue flight to return for stranded Turks and Caicos residents were among the plans on the table tonight after a Covid-19 repatriation exercise today went disturbingly wrong.
Twenty-seven individuals were
left behind in disbelief at the Sheltair private airport in Ft Lauderdale,
South Florida as they watched their interCaribbean Airways chartered plane take
off with no passengers on board.
Entry for everyone, including new
born babies and their mothers was denied by Turks and Caicos Health officials
without explanation and at the last minute.
Once news of this shocking
abandonment of Turks and Caicos people hit mainstream and social media;
comments revealed widespread outrage and bewilderment about the Government’s
handling of the return home of citizens and expatriate workers.
Though many have pointed their
fingers at the government administration, we are told tonight that if it were the
final decision of the Minister and PDM Administration, all 27 individuals would
be back on Turks and Caicos soil.
“We are very much disappointed;
especially with our people being out there in Florida where you have so many
more cases (of Covid-19); they are at a higher risk being out there. So any flights
coming with seats on it, we want to have our people to fill it as much as we
can, to bring our people home,” said the Minister of Health, Edwin Astwood.
Edwin Astwood, TCI Minister of Health, file photo
In an interview this evening, the
Minister confirmed to Magnetic Media that he was made aware of the denial of
entry to 27 residents and citizens late Wednesday night. The individuals, had either bought their own
tickets or had airfare paid for by the National Health Insurance Plan, which
arranged seats for returning patients.
The response to the outcry for
help was an immediate review the passenger list, after which he issued this recommendation:
“In reviewing the list of persons
scheduled on the flight, the majority are NHIP patients and the remainder is in
possession of a recent Covid-19 negative test result. Also included are three mothers with newborn
babies. In addition, most stated that
they would be able to quarantine at home (being in possession of their recent
negative Covid-19 test).
I am recommending that the flight
be granted leave to enter the TCI tomorrow afternoon, bringing the returning
residents.”
With the Minister of Health on
their side, the residents who had been previously informed their re-entry was denied
were confident the repatriation flight would now take place. However, those hopes were crushed and instead
the terminal was an emotional mix of tears, frustration, anger and bitter disappointment
for the passengers, their families and the interCaribbean Airways crew.
The Minister confirmed that his
Wednesday night communication was dispatched, via email, to the Chief Medical
Officer, who is Dr. Nadia Astwood and the Director of Environmental Health, who
is Kenrick Neely, among others.
“Maybe the Health officials thought
they were working in the best interest of the general public because of the
capacity and our recent outbreak (of coronavirus). That is what I am thinking that maybe they
were thinking that they were acting in the public’s best interest by saying ‘no’
to this flight,” shared Minister Astwood.
Posted to Social Media
The recommendation from the
Minister, who is also a health professional, was rejected without notification,
explanation or discussion.
“I thought persons would have taken
the recommendation and go ahead with the flight, because I put myself on the
line saying yes, that I would recommend that they do this flight. The relevant health officers, whom the (Public
and Environmental Health) Ordinance empowers to make the final decision didn’t agree
with the flight coming in,” explained Edwin Astwood.
Minister Astwood confirmed that
up to the time of our interview, he had still not been offered a reason for the
denial of the flight by the CMO and EHD Director.
The Minister did say that both
officers have since been informed the situation their denial of re-entry has
created will now cost the Government more money and has attracted considerable
public backlash.
“We have the money that we can
get a quarantine place. Now it will cost us the government much more in money and
time, and funds are tight but it will cost us much more.”
It was also explained that knowing
the details of this flight manifest in advance would have given the government
administration more time to lobby for approvals and could have provided the
opportunity to remove stumbling blocks.
“I have gotten other ministers
involved; the Minister of Tourism, Immigration and the Premier are involved and
we are seeing how we best we can sort out this problem and we have to do an
investigation into what went wrong, why this happened at the ninth hour and why
we were informed so late, yesterday evening.”
As for what happens tonight and
when the residents can be brought home, Magnetic Media is informed that the National
Health Insurance Board has been asked to offer assistance to residents until a
rescue flight is arranged.
All stranded passengers are confirmed to have safe lodgings for the evening.
InterCaribbean Airways is ready
to re-try the repatriation flight; requiring time to organize the mission and
financial support from the Government to return for the individuals who remain stuck
in Florida.
Magnetic Media is a Telly Award winning multi-media company specializing in creating compelling and socially uplifting TV and Radio broadcast programming as a means for advertising and public relations exposure for its clients.
CHTA Education Foundation & Sandals Foundation Training Celebration with TCHTA in Providenciales 20 October 2026. Front Row, L to R: Suzanne & Louise CHTAEF Trainers, Wesley Clerveau, PS Ministry of Tourism, Deryck Meany for Sandals Foundation, TCHTA team: Stacy-Ann Wharton, VP – Nicholette Thomas Operations Manager - Omega Simmons Board Member
Turks and Caicos – Caribbean Supercharged Service, Learning & Leadership workshops were enjoyed by professionals from Grace Bay Car Rentals, a local sponsor, alongside a Heavy Machinery Rental Company, a Paint retailer, 8 resorts, a luxury villa management enterprise and 3 TCHTA sponsored junior chefs, including Team TCI Junior Chef 2026, Zaliya Dickenson, who will complete at the Taste of the Caribbean in November for her country.
These workshops were the result of the longstanding partnership between the CHTA Education Foundation and their sponsor, Sandals Foundation, who support the Caribbean Supercharged programme on a different island every year. This year, the Turks & Caicos Hotel & Tourism Association (TCHTA) hosted the initiative to the delight of its members.
The workshops targeted new team members, seasoned professionals, managers and supervisors. Topics included Foundations & Finesse within Customer Interactions, Delivering Clear Expectations for Service Consistency and Making Memorable Moments.
Sandals Foundation was pleased to also sponsor chefs, cooks, stewards, warehouse & purchasing staff from 7 resorts and 2 high schools for an intensive HACCP Preparation & Pre-Requisites informational day, including international coursebooks, team training booklets and each person’s international assessment fee. The course is approved by the Royal Society for Public Health UK, earns Continuing Professional Development Credits, and is recognized globally as the leading Food Safety Management System.
Deryk Meany, General Manager, Beaches TCI, represented Heidi Clarke, Executive Director, Sandals Foundation at the 20 October Celebration with energy and passion for professional development and life-long learning in tourism to ever uplift and grow ourselves. He asked participants to ‘never stop learning! Today is a step upwards in your personal growth and that of the industry. We are never too old to learn, to share our experiences within training and grow”
Wesley Clerveau, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, gave spirited, positive inspiration and congratulations to the participants “Stayover arrivals in TCI have increased by 6% between January & June this year, we are hot! The place visitors wish to be, and your time, application and learning in each workshop is invaluable to us as a destination and to you as citizens and residents. I urge you to put what you have gained into practice immediately and keep applying yourselves; the more you upgrade, the more service elevates, the more we all succeed”
Karolin Troubetzkoy, Chairwoman, CHTA Education Foundation commented “Congratulations to everyone who participated in this year’s workshops, thank you for being fully engaged and making the most of your opportunity.
Special mention to the 8 past participants that we reunited with and are now working in leadership positions, BRAVO! We are delighted for you and encourage you to stay focused and keep shining and growing upwards.
It has been the Education Foundations honor to work closely with our sponsor Sandals Foundation and partner with TCHTA again to create Caribbean Supercharged positivity within each of you”.
Stacey-Ann Wharton, Vice President TCHTA, congratulated everyone present and stressed the TCHTA ongoing commitment to learning and development of members teams and management, along with special TCHTA scholarships for the HACCP session for 3 Junior Chefs, showing the Associations commitment to nurturing talent from High School upwards.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
First Insert: Wesley Clerveau, PS, Ministry of Tourism
Second Insert: Deryck Meany, GM Beaches TCI representing Sandals Foundation
Third Insert: Stacy-Ann Wharton, Vice President, TCHTA
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands: The Crown Land Unit, with coordination and support from the Informal Settlements Unit (ISU), conducted a multi-agency enforcement exercise in the Five Cays area on Thursday, September 17, 2026, as part of ongoing efforts to address the illegal occupation and unauthorised use of Crown land.
The exercise brought together representatives from the Crown Land Unit, ISU and the Turks and Caicos Islands Border Force. Security for the exercise was provided by the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force. Inspections were conducted across several parcels of Crown land throughout Five Cays, where instances of illegal occupation and unauthorised use had been identified.
During the exercise, a total of forty (40) Section 22 Notices of Unauthorised Occupation were served in accordance with the provisions of the Crown Land Ordinance. The notices related to various forms of unauthorised occupation and use of Crown land, including incomplete structures, shipping containers, derelict vehicles, trailer chassis, building materials and other items.
Where persons were not present, notices were affixed to the relevant structures or items. The exercise forms part of the Crown Land Unit’s continuing efforts to prevent squatting and encroachment on Crown land and to ensure that identified instances of unauthorised occupation are appropriately addressed.
The Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands reminds the public that Crown land must not be occupied, developed or otherwise used without lawful authority.
The Crown Land Unit, supported by the ISU and its other partner agencies, will continue to identify and address instances of illegal occupation of Crown land across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Persons affected by notices issued during enforcement exercises are encouraged to comply with the requirements outlined and to seek guidance from the relevant authorities where necessary.
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (October 22nd, 2026) – The Turks and Caicos Islands welcomes BermudAir as the airline begins its service to the destination on Monday, October 26th, marking the start of a wider expansion that will connect us with additional cities across the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.
BermudAir’s service will begin with a new nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Providenciales. The flight will depart from the Howard Hamilton International Airport at 8 am on Monday morning and arrives at 7.40 pm. Aboard the inaugural flight will be a delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands led by Experience Turks and Caicos and the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority (TCIAA), and will include Deputy Governor, Her Excellency Anya Williams, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly, as well s representatives of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association (TCHTA), the board of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourism Authority, Invest TC and local media.
BermudAir will operate the Fort Lauderdale–Providenciales route three times weekly, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, through May 3rd, 2027. making it easier for business travellers with the schedule offering the potential for same-day return trips. The airline is also launching nonstop service between Fort Lauderdale and Belize City, Belize, on the same schedule, offering travellers in South Florida direct access to both destinations.
The new service introduces BermudAir’s premium leisure inflight experience to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Flights will operate on Embraer E190 aircraft configured without middle seats, giving every passenger a window or aisle seat, alongside complimentary snacks and beverages.
Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Zhavargo Jolly, welcomed the airline’s arrival, noting the importance of expanding airlift to support the continued development of the destination’s tourism industry.
“Air connectivity remains one of the most important factors in the continued development of our tourism industry. BermudAir’s expansion represents an opportunity to strengthen our connections with key international markets while opening new doors for our sister islands. I am particularly encouraged by the planned direct service between Newark and South Caicos, which speaks directly to our vision of expanding tourism opportunities across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Our objective is to ensure that improved connectivity translates into greater economic activity, stronger local businesses and more opportunities for Turks and Caicos Islanders to participate in and benefit from tourism.” said Minister Jolly.
Commenting on the significance of the new route for the country’s development, the Honourable Arlington Musgrove, Minister of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development (PPID), stated: “The introduction of BermudAir’s new service is a testament to the continued growth and development of our aviation sector. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development, alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, remains dedicated to enhancing our airport infrastructure to accommodate increased airlift. We are committed to working to ensure that our facilities provide a seamless, world-class experience for all incoming passengers and we warmly welcome BermudAir to our shores.”
The Fort Lauderdale launch is the first of several new services BermudAir plans to introduce to the Turks and Caicos Islands for the 2026–2027 winter season. Additional connections to Providenciales are scheduled from:
Bermuda to TCI and Grand Cayman: Beginning December 18th, 2026
Anguilla: Beginning December 19th, 2026
Boston, Massachusetts: Beginning December 19th, 2026
Toronto, Canada: Beginning December 19th, 2026
Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina: Beginning December 20th, 2026
Newark, New Jersey to South Caicos: Beginning December 20th, 2026
St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida: Beginning December 21st, 2026
Baltimore-Washington: Beginning December 24th, 2026
The expansion will give travellers more options for reaching the destination during the winter travel season, while broadening access from established and developing source markets. The additional routes also create opportunities for tourism stakeholders to reach new audiences and encourage visitors to explore more of the islands.