Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 03, 2020 (SKNIS): With the growing number of infections from the 2019 Novel Coronavirus outbreak which originated in China, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to focus on protecting citizens and residents against the virus.
This was according to Chairman of the National Disaster Mitigation Council, Honourable Attorney General, Vincent Byron, during a press conference on Monday, February 03, 2020, to update the general public on the Novel Coronavirus.
“I want to assure you and every citizen and resident that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis takes this extremely seriously. The health of all of our citizens and residents here in our country is our primary focus and the government will do whatever it has to do to ensure that our citizens are secure,” said Chairman Byron.
Attorney General Byron said that measures are currently in place to protect citizens and residents.
“There is currently screening going on for all who travel to our shores. Sensitization measures and training are being done among the appropriate medical personnel in case we were to be impacted here,” he said. Every measure that is required the government will ensure that this is done to protect our people.”
Minister Byron encouraged persons to stay calm and carry on with their daily lives.
“I want to urge our citizens that the situation is under control and there is no need to panic. We have to ensure that we do not in some misguided way disrupt our everyday lives other than to take the necessary precautions to ensure healthy living,” he said.
He reiterated that the government will “put the necessary measures in place and ensure that all precautions are taken.” The Chairman acknowledged medical practitioners for their work thus far, noting that “we can be assured that we are in good hands with their professional advice.”
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.