BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, November 12, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis acted quickly by rolling out a careful plan of action – which entailed the closing of the country’s borders, enacting lockdowns and enforcing other non-pharmaceutical measures – that has led to the outstanding success in managing and containing the spread of the disease in the Federation.
And while the pandemic has been devastating on the Government’s reserves, and economic activity across the Federation, St. Kitts and Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce is appreciative of the Government’s all-of-society approach in the handling of COVID-19 and for its mandate of putting lives before livelihoods in its all-of-society approach.
“The CIC maintains that a nation’s economic health is dependent on a healthy nation and a healthy workforce. We would like to commend the actions taken by the Government and the Ministry of Health in ensuring that health was its number one priority since the onset of COVID-19. We simply cannot make any headway in the recovery process or an attempt at economic recovery if our people are not healthy, both mentally and physically,” said Chamber President, Mrs. Giselle Matthews.
Mrs. Matthews also expressed appreciation for the tireless work carried out by the members of the National COVID-19 Task Force that has led to the gradual and safe reopening of the Federation’s economy.
The Chamber president further noted that “It is incumbent on every one of us to be responsible right now. I think the guidelines and protocols are clear. The Chamber, we’ve developed our own public service announcements to invest in the health of our people, so follow the protocols and the guidelines, please. It is your responsibility to protect your own family and your friends, and I’m asking all businesses and employers to ensure that all of their employees are following the safety protocols to protect their customers and their employees.”
The early and effective response from the Government and local health experts is why St. Kitts and Nevis, at this time, has the lowest number of COVID-19 cases of all sovereign states in the Hemisphere at 19, and all of which have fully recovered. It is also why the Federation is now rated by the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a very low-risk destination in its recent travel advisory.