A Nevispages weekly feature by Curtis Morton Sr
The way I see it, human beings sometimes adopt the DON’T CARE attitude, until something happens and then that triggers them into panic mode.
For months, I have been part of a team that is going around trying to get members of the general public to be compliant with the regulations enforced in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, due to the ongoing covid-19 crisis.
There was a time, early in the crisis, when persons were absolutely scared. It was easy to get people to comply and people were dying all across the world. As a matter of fact, people took this thing so seriously, that it was reported that one wife told her husband: ‘You gonna take off your clothes and bathe in the yard before you enter this house!
Well I newa!
Then, the people of St. Kitts and Nevis realized that people were dying all across the world but not in St. Kitts and Nevis. So, the word was spread far and wide that NO COVID IN ST. KITTS and NEVIS.
So people started to slack off from observing the protocols.
Those of us who were brave enough to even remind persons to wear their masks, wash and sanitize hands regularly, observe social distancing, observe sneezing and coughing etiquette and so on, were sometimes met with hostility, in some instances.
My concern was that WE AINT SO LUCKY.
It is not even that as a population everybody is complying. Some persons are blatant in expressing their beliefs and giving reasons why they refuse to comply.
So, God has truly smiled on us thus far.
The fear was always to prevent community spread. It is one thing to have incoming travelers who have the disease and are immediately identified and isolated and later get well, but it is a totally different scenario when there is a case identified that has no TRAVEL HISTORY.
You remember Anguilla?
It was just a normal sneak away shopping trip to St.Maarten by boat. When those persons returned some were infected and blended back into the society and then there was an outbreak that resulted in contact tracing and lockdown.
So, this week we learnt that there has been a case identified in St. Kitts and Nevis, with no travel history. The same people who were saying that since we have no cases, that are not travel related, then we are safe, are now saying that this particular case, is a hoax, not real. As a matter of fact, some have even ventured to say, that it is a set-up to force persons to get vaccinated.
I mean the things that I have heard!
However, as emergency press briefings were announced, some persons went into panic mode. You don’t want to see the long lines at some of the supermarkets on Thursday night! I believe that the lady who was in front of me at BEST BUY probably had to hire a truck to take what she had in the two shopping carts. I mean, it was like a hurricane was coming or something!
People were expecting a lockdown.
Up to this point, there has been the cancellation of events set for this weekend that previously were given the green light. The authorities are involved in vigorous contact tracing and I understand that some 20 contacts of the patient have been tested so far and pending results. We await those results with bated breaths.
The only good thing coming out of the occurrence is that suddenly it is a lot easier to remind some persons about the established protocols.
God in his word, stated that he would want to see us prosper and be in health, but we cannot prosper and be in health if we are going to remain conceited.
I think as a people, we need to research things for ourselves and not merely listen to every fairy tale that is expounded via WhatsApp and other social media platforms. It comes down to individual choices.
May by God’s grace, we make the right choices.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?