Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 14, 2020 (RSCNPF): National Disaster Coordinator, Abdias Samuel, educated the Island Constables on how their roles have evolved as a result of the changes to be put in place in preparation for the opening of the borders. He spoke to them during a session he facilitated on Tuesday, October 13 as part of a 2-week refresher course currently taking place at the Police Training School.
Mr. Samuel told the Island Constables about the new processes that will be rolled out at the RLB International Airport for persons arriving in the Federation and the “corridor of containment” which monitors the flow of people from the port of entry to where they will be staying for their vacation. It was designed to aid in contact tracing and controlling the movement of the persons arriving on the island. He explained that travellers to the Federation will have to complete an online entry form and wait for permission from the Ministry of National Security. Mr. Samuel disclosed that upon arrival, persons will go through an extensive screening process and possible testing before they are allowed to leave the airport to be transported by COVID-19-certified taxis to approved hotels or quarantine sites on the island.
He also went through the quarantine sites and the four hotels (Marriott, Park Hyatt, Four Seasons, and Koi Resort) that will be opening to visitors. He said that persons coming to the island from high-risk countries will vacation-in-place at these hotels and will be offered limited excursion packages.
He urged the Island Constables to be on their guard and to safeguard themselves from possible exposure. He said “when they go to these places, we need vigilance [with] these persons so they don’t do anything to compromise or jeopardize our status. This is where the compliance comes in, so you need to be the eyes and ears for us to be able to see these individuals.”
“If we do not do our part and St. Kitts-Nevis starts to see a big outbreak, then we are going back into lockdown,” said the National COVID-19 Task Force Chair, who went on to note that space and time are the Federation’s best weapons in the fight against the pandemic.
As the country prepares for the reopening of the borders, the role of these officers will be vital in ensuring that persons act in accordance with the regulations that are in place.