Now that Ebola has struck closer to home, with the latest case being reported in New York City (NYC), T&T citizens living there now fear for their lives.
The case has caused alarm among Trinidadians living in Manhattan, some a few blocks away from the Harlem apartment of the patient, Dr Craig Spencer.
Ebola is spread by direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
Despite the large numbers of travellers between New York and T&T, however, T&T will not implement any ban or quarantine system for people arriving in the country from JFK.
This was the response of Brig Anthony Phillips-Spencer, head of the National Ebola Prevention, Information and Response team (NEPIR).
He explained that the latest Ebola case in NYC was an "incident case" and not an outbreak.
"There is a procedure by which a country will implement a travel restriction and that is if there is an outbreak of the deadly virus. The US is not yet at that point. What we see here is an incident.
"If there is a number of infections in a given area, then it would be considered an outbreak and only then can travel restrictions, bans and/or quarantines take effect," Phillips-Spencer explained.
He said the authorities were closely monitoring the situation, and added: "We are going to continue to intensify further. We continue to improve and refine and will put out public advisories. Our focus is also public education and awareness."
Phillips-Spencer also said NEPIR had successfully spotted an incoming sea vessel Lauren Foss, which was on its way to T&T from Congo which has not had any cases of Ebola.
There have been 68 cases this year in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a much bigger country, which is one of the four countries in west Africa from which travel to T&T is banned. T&T nationals coming from the DRC, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia will have to undergo 21 days of quarantine.
Phillips-Spencer explained: "What we are doing is screening at all ports, airport and seaports but before the actual screening is done, we are doing scouting, keeping in touch with airlines and ships before they even enter the jurisdiction.
"We are finding out who is onboard, where they are coming from, how many crew members and purpose."
The Lauren Foss was due to enter T&T waters on Wednesday to change an eight-member crew which flew in from the US. The ship was inspected and no risk was detected so the crew was allowed to change and the vessel was allowed to continue its voyage.
"We will continue to refine drills and operating procedures," Phillips-Spencer said.
He also revealed that T&T would seek assistance from abroad in obtaining a level four laboratory testing facility for the Ebola virus.
"We have had offers and we have reached out because it is no secret but here in the region we do not have a level four lab for testing. The level four is needed to diagnose Ebola. We have a level below."
NYC-T&T travel: the numbers
An average of 616 passengers arrive daily on board Caribbean Airline (CAL) flights from John F Kennedy International Airport, New York, according to a CAL representative.
There are four daily CAL flights with each bringing about 154 passengers.
American Airlines has two flights daily to T&T from Miami International Airport. The AA representative, however, did not want to disclose how many passengers were on each flight, saying this was for security reasons.
On Jet Blue Airlines, there is a daily flight carrying an average of 150 passengers. Over 5,362 people arrive at Piarco Airport weekly from New York City and Miami.
Level four labs
The US Centers for Disease Control's Website explains that viruses and other pathogens that need bio-safety level (BSL) four facilities and practices are extremely dangerous and pose a high risk of life-threatening disease. The Ebola virus is one of them.
BSL four facilities provide the maximum protection and containment. BSL four practices include requirements for complete clothing change before entry, a shower on exit and decontamination of all materials before leaving the lab.
People working in such a lab must wear an air-supplied full-body suit.
Usually, BSL four laboratories are in separate buildings or a totally isolated zone with dedicated supply and exhaust ventilation. Exhaust streams are filtered through high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.
(Source: www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/hcp/safe-specimen-management.html)
A scared NYC Trini speaks:
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Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday from her apartment on 125th and Broadway, Manhattan, Sajida Baksh was worried by the news.
She has lived in Manhattan for the past 44 years and is a retiree from the Riverbank State Park, Manhattan, which is just two blocks away from Spencer's apartment.
"This news has hit home with me and all I can think about is the thousands of people, including children, that frequent the park. I worked there for years and it is very frightening for me, as you could say it has reached my backyard."
She said she now has to exercise extreme caution while using public transport in and around NYC.
She added: "The train is crowded and you really can't tell what is happening while in that crowd. I have my car, yes, but there are times when I have to use the train or bus. It is frightening to know that this deadly virus has reached outside our doors.
"Everyone around me is afraid... Americans and T&T locals living up here.
"We pray to God that it does not reach T&T's shores because I do not know if T&T is equipped 100 per cent to handle this Ebola."
Baksh, a Carnival lover, was also anxious about Carnival 2015, given the Ebola crisis, and believes the Government should think carefully about whether or not it should go on.
She added: "Listen, I love my Carnival and I plan to come to T&T for Carnival next year but now that it have this Ebola crisis I don't think I would dare come, despite all the precautions and measures that may be put in place.
"I personally think that there can be mishaps. Piarco airport will be in a mess and I don't think they would have enough resources to personally check everyone arriving in T&T.
"Carnival is all about revelry, sex, parties, etc, and it will be one of the greatest risks for the spread of Ebola because you have to take into consideration if people will be truthful in filling out the health forms, which would ask origin, and if they have come in contact with persons who may have contracted the Ebola virus.
"We cannot take this for granted. People ought to be truthful on this and there is a big possibility that they won't."