Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 27, 2020 (Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is repatriating fifty-three (53) of the Federation’s students studying in Jamaica who have had difficulty getting home due to border closings as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Thursday, April 30th, the students will be brought back to the Federation on a charter flight organized by the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs.
They will be subject to quarantine for at least 14 days upon their return, as is the policy of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Speaking on WINN (98.9) FM’s Inside the News on Saturday, April 25th, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris said that, “There are no immediate plans to unlock our borders other than in the measured way that we have allowed them to operate.”
For instance, cargo flights, cargo ships, commercial courier flights, emergency medical flights and emergency flights approved by the Air Ports Authorities are being permitted entry (see SRO No. 15 of 2020, Regulation 11, Section 2) into St. Kitts and Nevis.
In his March 22nd national address, Prime Minister Harris said in relation to overseas students and citizens abroad that, “In the event of emergencies or adverse developments, our Foreign Missions stand ready to assist.”
The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis went on to note in his March 22nd national address that, “Support services can be accessed from the Embassies of the Eastern Caribbean States and Missions to the European Union located in Brussels, Belgium; our Washington, DC and New York Permanent Missions located in the United States of America; our High Commissions in London, United Kingdom and Ottawa, Canada, and our Embassy in Taipei, Taiwan. We also have consular support services being provided in Morocco and Dubai.”
Last Saturday on Inside the News, the Prime Minister said that the Federation’s diplomatic missions “must be our first response point to our citizens who are located abroad.”