BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Wednesday 16th June 2021)-Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Hazel Laws has dismissed social media rumours that she recently sent in a job resignation letter.

She commented on the topic nearing the end of her opening remarks on Tuesday 15th June 2021 during the Leadership Matters programme aired on ZIZ.
Dr. Laws, who is a member of the National COVID-19 Task Force, shared that she has been employed by the Ministry of Health in her capacity as the CMO for almost five years and that she is committed to service.  

“I want to end on a personal note. On September 15th 2016, I joined the staff in the Ministry of Health in my present capacity as the Chief Medical Officer. I functioned as the Chief Technical Advisor to the government on matters related to health. I provided technical support and leadership to the health team.”

Dr. Laws continued: “I have been functioning in this capacity for almost five years. I serve passionately. I am committed to my service. I want us to dismiss the fake news and misinformation that is in circulation; I’m on the job I’m working and it’s quite obvious that I haven’t resigned. Let us not be distracted. Let us move forward in our fight against this virus.”

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Thursday 10th June 2021)-“You could imagine how tough that was on the patient, on the patient’s family et cetera [etc.]. I even got calls and WhatsApp [messages] from in the UK [and] North America asking if we got our first death…”

So said Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital and member of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson when he appeared on the Tuesday 8th June 2021 episode of ‘Leadership Matters’ on ZIZ in addressing  an area of concern on the topic of fake news in the Federation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This media house understands that a photo of a male COVID-19 patient had been circulating via social media, specifically WhatsApp messenger, claiming that he died from the illness.

Rumours going about indicated that St.Kitts-Nevis had recorded its first COVID related death.

“This morning, as I do most mornings,  I called the specialist working on the private ward to find out how the patients were doing, and I found that all four  were stable and doing fine. I updated the CMO [Chief Medical Officer-Dr. Hazel Laws], and I was shocked and surprised when I saw circulating on social media; this news that one of the patients died with a picture, and I think it is very tough on persons when they’re in the hospital fighting a deadly disease like this and then turning the corner and doing well for persons to be spreading fake news with a picture saying that the person is dead,” Dr. Wilkinson said.
 
He continued: “You could imagine how tough that was on the patient, on the patient’s family et cetera [etc.]. I even got calls and WhatsApp [messages] from in the UK, North America asking if we got our first death, and for someone to be doing that it must be a malicious attempt at what we’re doing and I want to [say to] persons that we can have disagreements but we don’t need to be enemies and we don’t need to misconstrue the information and especially when someone is in the hospital and fighting to get better, let’s try and keep them out of those and stick to the facts.”
 
Commenting on a caller’s question about the government’s response to fake news, Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris said: “Well, I think in large measure that is why we’re here tonight in part to be able to bring the facts and to have the authorities and those most knowledgeable to inform the people. So part of our response to the fake news is to keep the public abreast with what is happening in the country, to be transparent about it and to explain as much to the people so that they understand.”
 
“There will always be unfortunately, as we see it play out, some whom for selfish motives, and for their own political agenda would want to have bad news in the country…. Some have resorted to politicising the efforts even of professional people in doing such a marvelous job of protecting our country,” he added.

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Wednesday 2nd June 2021)- Medical practitioner and Chairman of the opposition St.Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) Dr. Terrance Drew is of the view that Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris of the Team Unity government “continues to play politics with COVID-19.”

He made the disclosure while speaking on ‘Issues’ programme aired on FreedomFM on Tuesday 1st June 2021 in making a continued call for an all of society approach and also offered a recommendation that the government and businesses use scientifically proven methods of communicating and convincing people on the topic of vaccination instead of forcing people.

Dr. Drew commented on the early onset of the novel coronavirus in St.Kitts and Nevis in 2020 when he was “bashed” and “pulled through the mud” in an outreach to assist the government.

He labelled the government’s response to the SKNLP as having “maligned and sidelined us.”

According to Dr. Drew: “That should show people that the government was not serious ever about the whole of society approach. Had they brought us in, that would have helped. Why? Because even outside of politics, wherever people can come together as one, have a united front and  move together when that is genuine and done properly it would have an effect, and the effect would be a positive effect to influence people and bring people together. So it doesn’t have to be a political movement; any movement at all but once the movement is united it can cause positive response in those who you are seeking to reach so it would have been much better.” 

He talked about how he along with former Prime Minister and SKNLP leader Dr. Denzil Douglas could have been helping initially.

“Dr. Douglas dealt with the AIDS pandemic. Dr. Douglas is a medical doctor, bonafide and well-respected medical doctor. He could have brought experience to bear on the response of all of this.”

He added: “I myself, I am a medical doctor trained in internal medicine, very few of us here (in St.Kitts-Nevis). I could have added my part but instead of doing that, they sought to extract whatever political advantage they could have extracted and as a result we are in the position we are in…”

Fast forward to present times, Dr. Drew expressed: “And guess what the Prime Minister has not changed. He continues to play politics with COVID-19. Now he is playing politics with the vaccines and when the people were not going [to get vaccinated], he blamed Dr. Douglas. Can you imagine that?, and blamed Dr. Douglas as the reason why people aren’t going.”

The medical doctor emphasized that the pandemic “has nothing to do with politics, and that is why we continue to call for the all of society approach.”
Dr. Drew pointed out that people’s decision not to take the vaccine is not because of politics.

He recalled that while making an appearance at another radio station recently, a caller said ‘I’m a big Unity and I’m not taking the vaccine’.
“..and she was saying to me and to us and all those who were listening that her decision is not premise on any political affiliation but because of her own conviction as to why she should not take the vaccine.”

On the topic of vaccine hesitancy, he then  stated that in such situations “People like her (the caller) should not be pushed out of a job or be forced out of a job…should not be maligned and called all sorts of names. That is a person who you should call in, give her a forum where she can have all of her doubts, her fears listened to and responded to. That is the approach.”

He accused the government of “acting aggressively” and “like a dictatorship” as it relates to the national vaccination programme and stated “That is not the attitude to have. Do not force people.”

Dr. Drew went on to encourage the government to “Use scientifically proven methods of communicating and convincing people and so I disagree with this approach to force people directly and indirectly… there is a scientific democratic approach that can achieve the same end.”

 “I want the businesses who think they have to force their people to take the vaccine that there is a scientific way of getting your people to go where you think they should go,” he also noted.

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 4th June 2021)-Workers who are in quarantine or isolation are being asked to submit a request for an official letter to be sent to their employers which can also be used for their social security claims.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Hazel Laws provided such information when she spoke at an emergency COVID-19 briefing of the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Daily Briefing on Tuesday 1st June 2021.
                                              
Such workers include parents of children who are in self quarantine.
 
Requests can be made through headmasters of schools or by calling the COVID-19 hotline via 311.
 
“The 311 operators, they are receiving a number of calls regarding the Quarantine and Isolation Order. So the individuals who are in isolation, meaning the positive cases and those who are in self quarantine at a government or COVID-19 certified facility and those individuals, those family members are in self quarantine, they are requesting that official letter that certifies that they were placed in isolation or quarantine in order for them to submit same to their employers, and this letter can also be used for their social security claims.” 
 
Dr. Laws continued: “So we’re asking you to submit your requests through the headmaster of either the six high schools, that is, if your child or your ward is placed in self quarantine.  However, if you’re in not any way related to the school system we’re asking you to submit your requests through the 311 operator such that your letter is prepared so that you can submit same to your employer and it can be utilized for your social security claim.”
 
A recent notice issued on 26th May from the Department of Labour appealed to all employers to be considerate and empathetic towards workers who have been ordered by the health authorities to enter quarantine.
 
Employers have been asked to preserve the employment of the individuals affected and where possible continue to pay wages, salaries in full or up to at least 35% as quarantine workers may be able to claim sickness benefits in accordance with schedule 8 part 3 section 9: 2 of the Social Security Act.

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 4th June 2021)- West Line bus operators recently took a break off road for a meeting to discuss their views on not being included to decide on one of the newest COVID-19 safety measures which asks passenger bus operators to work with a 50% seating capacity.

This reporter visited the outdoorsy area in the vicinity Cenotaph at Fortlands on Friday 28th May 2021 and met more than seven bus operators gathered before the start of the meeting; some of whom were seen eating their lunch.
In attendance at the joint meeting were members of the West Line Bus Association and the Sugar City Bus Association operators. 

Speaking with President of the West Line Bus Association Nicholson ‘Rambo’ Webster following the meeting, he shared that there “was no kind of consultation” with the bus fraternity. Hence, a meeting was called so as to put together a proposal to the government in an effort to address the  challenges, financial and otherwise, linked to their line of work.

Areas discussed were seating capacity, additional fuel burning, subsidy as well as reduced import duties.

Webster is of the view that a decision of that nature which affects bus fraternity should have seen the governmental agencies consulting the bus associations before a decision was made.

“This is not the first time that the buses are working under this type of arrangement,” he expressed in pointing out the bus drivers have been working amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the issues with the requested 50% seating capacity, according to him, has to do with the configuration of the buses since all of them are not the same. He also talked about the variation relating travelling distances in providing an example of six passengers stopping at a shorter distance and just one passenger travelling longer.

“This is not working and it doesn’t make any sense either,” he stated.
Commenting on what needs to happen in addressing the concerns of bus drivers, Webster touched on the relevant authorities approaching the bus associations and “having a sit down and have a discussion on the way forward.”
When questioned about some members of the public thinking they took a strike that day, he pointed out that the meeting was called that day. 

Also, when quizzed about the concerns of some passengers about a suspected increase in bus fare, Webster noted that bus drivers “can’t just get up and change noting that the Transportation Board will have to determine such.
Prime Minister Dr. Timothy Harris, in a live address to the nation on Tuesday 25th May 2021 listed ten (10) of measures to be undertaken “In order to contain the spread of the deadly virus.”

Number two on that list was: “The number of passengers on public transportation (buses, ferries etc.) will be reduced to 50 percent of established capacity. This is to facilitate physical distancing and a resultant reduction in the risk of transmission of the virus.”