BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 20th August 2021)-Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General and member of the COVID-19 National Task Force Dr. Cameron Wilkinson has reported that the first recorded patient infected with the Delta variant of COVID-19 has recovered  while more samples will be sent abroad for further testing.

“This was an inbound passenger who was in quarantine, and has since recovered. It is comforting to know that the Delta variant was found in someone who was in quarantine and has since recovered and was not found at large in the community.  We will be sending off further samples for genomic sequencing,” he stated while appearing on ‘Leadership Matters’ weekly episode aired on ZIZ Tuesday 17th August 2021.

Dr. Wilkinson expressed: “With the high transmissibility of the new Delta variant, there is an increased urgency to reach as many people as quickly as possible with the vaccine. The Delta variant is the most contagious we have seen so far.The World Health Organization has called it the fast and fittest of all variants. Without vaccination and a mask, an infected person with the original virus would infect 2.5 other persons under the same conditions, a person infected with the Delta variant will infect nine other persons.”

According to him: “Some data suggest that the Delta variant might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated persons. I said a couple of weeks ago that it was only a matter of time before the Delta variant arrived at our shores. It was not a matter of if but when it was going to arrive and that we all needed to prepare for this eventuality. Samples were sent off to CARPHA for genomic sequencing on July 28. The results returned over the last 24- 48 hours confirmed the presence of the Delta variant in one of the samples tested. This was an inbound passenger who was in quarantine, and has since recovered. It is comforting to know that the Delta variant was found in someone who was in quarantine and has since recovered and was not found at large in the community.  We will be sending off further samples for genomic sequencing.”
 
He pointed out that a number of neighbours on this side of the globe already have the Delta variant including Trinidad and Tobago. Grenada, Martinique and Guadeloupe, Barbados, Puerto Rico, Anguilla, Saba, the United States Virgin Islands and St. Martin.
 
“We will not be spared and we must be prepared for the eventuality. If too many people remain vulnerable, and become infected with this variant, our health care system will become overwhelmed and more people will die.”
 
Dr. Wilkinson said unvaccinated individuals are at greatest risk.
 
“The unvaccinated among us are at greatest risk. Unfortunately, most of our children who cannot be vaccinated can be more impacted by the Delta variant than other variants or the original virus. Our elderly are also more likely to become symptomatic, be hospitalised and die if infected with the Delta variant.”
 
In calling on more individuals to get vaccinated, he had this to say: “This means that they are even more dependent on us who can be vaccinated for protection. Yes, it is true that if you are vaccinated you can still get infected by the Delta variant but being vaccinated offers you significant protection against symptomatic disease, hospitalization and death.  The vaccine is our best defense against this highly contagious and deadly variant. The higher the proportion of the population fully vaccinated, the better our defence will be against the Delta variant.”

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 20th August 2021)-“If parents do not want their children to be vaccinated, as far as the Ministry of Education is concerned, there is nothing we can do. We leave that for the law makers, the legal authorities, the competent authorities, the government to decide what will happen.”

So said Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education William Hodge when he appeared on ‘Leadership Matters’ weekly episode aired on ZIZ Tuesday 17th August 2021. He was at the time responding to questions about if all teachers are vaccinated and also what will the Ministry do about parents who do not want their children  to get vaccinated.

“So what I would say is that we will cross that bridge when we get to it but certainly I would want to encourage teachers, parents and adults who work with children to get vaccinated,” he added.

“I really would have loved to say yes teachers are fully vaccinated,” he started out in his response about the vaccination status of teachers whilst noting that measures have been in place including informational sessions and nurses and medical personnel being present to administer vaccines after such sessions.

Hodge continued: “We would expect that teachers as leaders in the community will be amongst the persons who would want to get vaccinated first, quickly because they recognise the importance of this.”

As shared by him: “Not a significant number of teachers have been vaccinated.”
He pointed to data from the Ministry of Health in making that observation, saying further: “Infact, the data that we looked at didn’t just show teachers but it also showed persons who work in schools…school meals and other departments and units within the Ministry of Education…”

The Education official then encouraged teachers to go out and get vaccinated “especially as we prepared to move back to face to face instructions in schools.”
“Now that we have the vaccine that has added another layer of protection for teachers themselves and if teachers are serious about their own health…and the quotation said earlier ‘Health is the new wealth’, they have to go out and be vaccinated and to encourage others as well as to ensure to encourage the children in their charge when we get to that point  to be vaccinated,” he noted.

In addressing the impact of the COVID-19 virus on young people, Hodge said: “Yes I did say that persons of all ages are contracting the virus. Our children and young people are affected.  Of the 558 cases on the outbreak from May 19th to August 3rd, 113 of these 558 cases were children. 11. 2 % of the total cases were children ages 0 to 9 and 12.6% of the total cases were between the ages of 10 to 19. 31 of this number was secondary and tertiary level students who could not write their CSEC or CAPE examinations in July/August, and this was because they or someone in their household contracted a virus and had to be in isolation or in quarantine. This has been a tremendous setback for our students who now have to wait until January or June of 2022 to write their examinations.”

He went on to say: “ As we are all aware a number of our students at the primary and secondary levels have been stricken by the virus and this resulted in our schools coming to a screeching halt. Schools were closed prematurely to contain the spread of the virus. We all know too well that school closures do have crippling effects  not only on students’ learning but equally on school closures have crippling effects on our economy.  If our daycare centres, nurseries and schools are to remain closed, this has serious implications for the successful and safe reopening of the economy. This is not a textbook information; we have all lived through this over the past 18 months.”

He talked about the encouragement of adults, parents, guardians, men and women “who work with our children and young people to get vaccinated.”

“That encouragement continues this evening. At this juncture, I’m happy and I commend the government for securing the Pfizer vaccine that can be administered to children and youth 12 to 18 years old,” he added.

Hodge said shortly the Ministry of Health will partner with the Ministry of Education to roll out the administration of the Pfizer vaccine.

“We make a special appeal to teachers, parents to support this process. Children younger than 12 at this point cannot be vaccinated. They will continue to depend on their parents, guardians and teachers for protection.” 

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Friday 20th August 2021)- In the space of about three weeks, police on St.Kitts have put out public notice again informing that they have not been written to for permission concerning any events slated to take place on the weekend of Friday 20th August 2021, and are warning participants not to carry on with their plans.
 
This media house has come across a poster advertising an event dubbed   “PEACEFUL WALK”. It appears that such is being organized so as to address vaccination policies as words on the poster says: “Let your voice be heard! Join us as we walk through the streets of Basseterre! Let us stand together! To end the segregation and manipulation!”

Speaking on the weekly ‘Policing With You’ programme on ZIZ on Thursday 19th August 2021, Assistant Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Operations Adolph Adams talked in relation to the Public Order Act saying: “I would like to say loud and clear that the High Command of the Royal St. Christopher and Police Force has become aware of a number of unlawful meetings and protests being organized by a group or groups of individuals in the Federation. The High Command want to make it clear that no application requesting permission for any groups or persons organizing or coordinating or host any procession in any public space was received by the commissioner or any permission was granted by the Commissioner of Police.”
 
He continued: “If any such event is found to be taking place over this weekend, it would be considered unlawful and will be brought to an end by any reasonable means. Any person who wants to take part in these unlawful events, I can assure you that you will be prosecuted and to the full extent of the law.”
 
ACP Adams said: “It is an offense for any person to organize, attempt to organize, partake, incite or refuse to disperse when required to do so by the security forces and on summary conviction, you will be entitled to a penalty of $2500 or six months in prison and you can also receive both.”
 
He further appealed to the” civic minded and good citizens of this Federation not to take part in such event because I can assure you that you will be prosecuted.”

BASSETERRE, St.Kitts (Friday 13th August 2021)-An employee who had been working at a particular company for twenty-five (25) years and was recently fired on grounds of a vaccination policy has been interviewed by this media house.

This reporter discovered the identity of the woman whose name was purposely omitted by her although the letter was publicised. Similarly for the interview conducted on Thursday 12th August 2021, she chose to remain anonymous for the time being.She finds it unfair having been fired over a vaccination policy and also the pressure that comes with such at workplaces.

“It is with great disappointment that I write this letter. We have had to come to the difficult decision to terminate your employment with us due to our vaccination policy with Employees who have direct contact with cruise ship passengers,” a part of the letter dated 23rd July read from a director at RAM’S TRADING LTD. addressed to her.

The letter which began circulating during the week of 5th August has been widely debated by members of the public.

It was also stated in the letter that: “Your choice not to protect yourself or others around you gives us no choice but to terminate your employment with us. We have a public responsibility to protect our Employees and Customers. Furthermore, as you will not be able to work on cruise ship days, (Port requirement and CMO stipulations), this gives us very little opportunity to have you at the workplace and offer fulltime employment. In addition to your limited days, you will have to be tested every two weeks at your cost, which will be an economical strain considering your limited capacity to earn. With these factors in mind, we have decided to conclude your employment at Ram’s Smoke ‘N’ Booze Duty Free.”

As understood, the reason why the terminated worker chose not to include her name in the social media-shared letter was because she just did not want her identity to be circulated.

However, when asked why she shared it publicly, she had this to say: “My decision behind that was we went to Labour Department and there is no justice in there, and we consulted with a lawyer and he is saying forget it because there is no justice in there either so I just figure I would put it out and let the court of public opinion judge the matter.”

According to her, she is satisfied with the feedback and support that she has been getting from members of the public. “Yes, I am satisfied with that. I’m glad that I put it out because I get to meet a lot of other people who are also in the same boat as I am. We will see what we can do going forward from there,” she stated.As gathered, this mother has four dependents.“It’s affecting me in a way that I’m not working anymore, and I can’t provide the way I normally would for my family working all these years.”

The letter asked that she find enclosed “your payment in lieu of notice and holiday pay owed.”In speaking with this media house, the woman highlighted that she intends on fighting for justice in getting what is due to her having worked so many years, and in offering words of encouragement to others in a similar situation , she said: “I would say to others [workers in general], let’s come together, unify and deal with this matter head on.”