BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, October 27, 2022 (SKNIS) – With the passage of the amendments to the Public Health Act in the National Assembly, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has successfully repealed the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Bill and effectively signalled to the world that St. Kitts and Nevis is truly open for business.
Prime Minister and Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr Terrance Drew, who was the mover of the Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2022, indicated that the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Act significantly affected and impacted the lives and livelihoods of thousands of citizens and residents.
“Social distancing and physical distancing were also really part of the measures that were included and we remember very well that you couldn’t visit family members. We remember very well that people could not socialize in the way they were accustomed to… [There were] restrictions on social activities as we saw the Orange Economy really being hit hard where entertainers could not earn and had difficulties meeting their obligations. Education and religious institutions were also affected,” the Honourable Prime Minister said.
Prime Minister Drew stated that for months prior to the 2022 General Election, scientific evidence existed that had shown that there was no longer any need for most of the COVID-19 restrictions in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Prime Minister said, “During the campaign of 2022, I said repeatedly that one of the first things that I would lead the new administration to do was to get rid of all the [COVID-19] protocols that did not make sense. Madam Speaker, I want to say to the country and to the region and to the world that the science had already existed since May of 2022 that we could have lifted these protocols and people were advised to lift them but because persons were using the law and pseudoscience for political expediency our people had to suffer for an unnecessary number of months.”
Dr Drew said that the Act was repealed today so that citizens and residents here in St. Kitts and Nevis can now regain their “freedoms and return to a life, an existence of normalcy.”
The Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2022 received significant support from Members of the Honourable House on both sides before it was eventually passed.
One of the first acts of St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party-led administration after being elected to serve was to remove all COVID-19 travel protocols to allow all citizens, residents and international travellers entry into the Federation without restrictions.