Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 18, 2021 (SKNIS): During the February 17 National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Press Briefing, medical officials shared with the public that the COVID-19 vaccine will be given in three stages.
Medical Chief of Staff at the JNF General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, stated that when determining who will be vaccinated first, the World Health Organization (WHO) has three goals in mind. These include to decrease serious death and serious disease as much as possible, preserve the functioning of society, and reduce the extra burden COVID-19 is having on people already facing disparities.
Speaking to the stage approach, the Chief Medical Officer said that enough vaccines are available to cover 20 percent of the population. Therefore, vaccination will be done through prioritizing and targeting.
“The National Immunization Committee has met and determined the target groups for the various stages,” she said. “So we will roll out this plan in three stages.”
In Stage 1a, it would be health care workers as they are at high to very risk. These workers include all specialists and internists, doctors and nurses on the COVID-19 Ward, the Operating Theatre, Intensive Care Unit, Accident and Emergency, COVID-19 Testers, Health Centre Nurse Managers, Aids and Emergency Medical Services.
Stage 1b includes border protection staff along the corridor of containment: Port Health, Immigration, Customs, Ground Transportation (Taxi Drivers), Hotel Workers at Front Desk, Security and Lobby.
Stage 1c includes the executive arm of government and essential workers outside of the health sector including police and defence force, coast guard, fire and rescue.
Stage 1d includes older adults (60-79 years) with chronic diseases and two or more of the following comorbidities: diabetes, respiratory conditions like emphysema and asthma, renal disease, auto-immune conditions and coagulopathies.
Stage 1e is an emergency reserve of vaccines for utilization for outbreak response or mitigation.
Stage 2a includes health care workers who are at high to very high risk in nursing homes (public and private) in-home care services, and COVID-19 Laboratory Staff.
Stage 2b include older adults 60 to 70 years of age with no or one co-morbidity, in nursing homes, in home care. Dr. Laws noted that older adults, who are 80 years or older, would be medically evaluated for suitability of receiving the vaccine.
Stage 2c includes persons under 60 years of age with chronic diseases and the following comorbidities: diabetes, respiratory conditions like emphysema and asthma, renal disease, auto-immune conditions, and coagulopathies.
Stage 2d includes socioeconomic groups including low-income migrant settlements (St. Kitts –Newtown, Irish Town/McKnight, Market Street; Nevis –Low Street, Craddock Road, Bath Village), disadvantaged persons registered in the social security benefit systems, persons with disabilities, low-income groups, hard to reach populations, Mental Health Day Treatment Centre.
Stage 3a will be targeting all the staff and teachers in the Ministry of Education from the Early Childhood phase to the tertiary level.
Stage 3b will be targeting essential workers outside of the health system. These include police and defence force, municipal services, other civil servants, agricultural and food industry workers, ground, and sea transportation drivers.
Stage 3c will include social employment groups including prison workers and residents, manufacturing industry workers, New Horizons Detention Centre, the Children’s Home and offshore medical school dorms.
Stage 3d will be targeting health care workers who are at low risk. These include the Medical Ward Staff, Surgical Ward Staff, Cardin Home Staff, Flamboyant Nursing Home Staff, Ministry of Health Administration and Clerical Staff.
Stage 3e will focus on persons at high risk of transmitting the infection and young and middle-aged adults who may not have any chronic illness.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 04, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris is of the view that retired officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the Fire and Rescue Services still have important roles to play in the preservation of peace and law and order in the country.
Prime Minister Harris, who also serves as Minister of National Security, expressed this view when he met with the leadership of the St. Kitts & Nevis Police and Fire Retirees Association at the Office of the Prime Minister on Wednesday, February 03.
The association was represented in the meeting by its President, former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Austin Williams; its Secretary, Mrs. Natalie Fough; former Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Richardson, and Reverend Leroy Benjamin.
The prime minister said, “I am happy to welcome this group to get a better understanding of the real important role they can play – a role of continuing service to those who have been at the frontline providing support and adding to the safety and security of our country, whether as police officers or those involved in fire and rescue. So I want to commend the leadership for coming forward and to send a message that this association has the highest level support of the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and to say that we would work in a cooperative way with the St. Kitts & Nevis Police and Fire Retirees Association to ensure that more can be done for those who have served our country so faithfully and well.”
Prime Minister Harris, who was supported by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Osmond Petty, and Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilroy Brandy, further noted that the retired officers have an accumulation of hundreds of years of knowledge and experience in the field of law enforcement that can be passed down to active members of the security forces.
He added, “I would like to see more of them involved in providing ongoing mentorship, support and guidance particularly to the new recruits and even to senior level officers. Indeed, in law enforcement nothing beats experience and an experienced cop can really add value in terms of knowledge, in terms of technique, in terms of administration and if we are going to provide outstanding results in adding to the stronger and safer future, we certainly need all of society involved.”
Former Commissioner Williams thanked the honourable prime minister for his strong support of the association and noted, “We will continue to do our part to enlighten, teach, train the security personnel that we come in contact with and we hope for a better and stronger future for all.”
The St. Kitts & Nevis Police and Fire Retirees Association was officially formed in November 2018. One of the immediate objectives is to find a suitable space to serve as its headquarters where its membership can meet more comfortably.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 13, 2021 (ZIZ News): The Fire department is investigating a Fire that broke out at a Chinese Restaurant on Cayon Street on Tuesday night.
According to Fire Chief, Everette O’Garro, at about 9: 23pm the Basseterre Unit of the Fire and Rescue Services responded to a fire at a Chinese Restaurant located East of the Basseterre Police Station.
After arriving on the scene the officers observed that the fire was in the kitchen and were able to contain the blaze there.
The report said kitchen appliances were severely damaged in the fire.
The Fire Chief said the cause of the fire was a result of the gradual build up in and around one of the deep fryers which eventually led to a grease explosion.
He said the restaurant was open at the time of the explosion but no one was injured.
The Fire Chief urged restaurant owners or persons who operate deep fryers to frequently and periodically clean them in an effort to avoid these incidents.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 20th, 2020 (ZIZ News) The police, the Coast Guard and other agencies are continuing their search for a man who went missing at sea on Saturday.
According to Acting Divisional Commander for District B, Inspector Eldrin Disckenson at 2:43 pm on Saturday the police received a report by Sylvester Williams of Old Road that fisherman Clovis Williams has gone missing at sea.
According to the report, 39 year old Williams of Green Tree Housing Project, Dave Samuel and Chad Pogson went out to sea on Saturday afternoon just off the Old Road Police Station.
When the fisherman arrived at the designated spot, Williams reported dove overboard to retrieve a fish pot. However he never resurfaced.
The Coast Guard was called in and they and other vessels searched the area. Coast Guard divers also searched underwater but Williams was not found.
As of Sunday afternoon a search party made up of Coast Guard, Fire And Rescue Services, Red Cross, St. Kitts Nevis Defence Force and the police had been combing the shore to find Mr. Williams.
But up to news time there has been no report of any success.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 03, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – With the opening of a modern Newcastle Police Station and Fire Unit, the Nevis Island Administration and, by extension the Team Unity Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, have demonstrated their commitment to the health and safety of the men and women of the nation’s security forces.
That’s according to Prime Minister and Minister of National Security, Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, when he delivered remarks at the opening of the modern Newcastle Police Station and Fire Unit on Nevis earlier today (Thursday, December 03).
“The health and safety of our security forces, and in this case, our law enforcement officers, as well as our fire officers, had been recognized and continue to be recognized as an essentially important factor in our crime mitigation and prevention strategies, but more-so, as a basic human and workers’ right,” Prime Minister Harris said.
The need for a new structure became necessary when, in 2016, the Government made the decision to close the Newcastle Police Station as it had been deemed to be in very poor condition and posed a serious health risk to the men and women of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police stationed there.
Prime Minister Harris said shortly after assuming office, his administration undertook a systematic assessment of the crime and criminality situation in the country.
“As part of that assessment, we became aware of the deplorable conditions of the building that this edifice now replaces. But this was not unique. Similar situations were found at the stations in Old Road, in Sandy Point and St. Pauls in St. Kitts. These conditions were not just deplorable, but had reached an embarrassingly dangerous level. The Federal Cabinet took the decision to close a number of these stations for the health and safety of all,” the prime minister said.
“We were cognizant of what seemed to be lost on our predecessors that poor accommodation, outdated and/or mal-maintained equipment and technologies would negatively impact the morale of our men and women in uniform and could even adversely affect recruiting of new police officers,” Dr. Harris added.
As a result of the strong cooperation between the Nevis Island Administration and the Federal Government, the construction of the multi-million dollar Newcastle Police Station and Fire Unit was realized.
Thursday’s opening ceremony was also attended by Deputy Governor General, Her Honour Mrs Hyleeta Liburd; Premier of Nevis, the Honourable Mark Brantley and other members of the Nevis Island Administration, as well as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Mr. Osmond Petty; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilroy Brandy; Fire Chief Mr. Everette O’Garro and officers of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force. Mr. Andrew Skerritt, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister, was also present.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 10th , 2020 (ZIZ News):
The St. Kitts and Nevis Red Cross Society (SKNRCS), in collaboration with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) conducted a Disaster Planning Flood Hazard Simulation Exercise on Saturday, October 10 2020.
The exercise began with the activation of the early flood warning device in lower St. Peters and headed down College Street and West Bourne Ghaut.
Disaster Coordinator at the St. Kitts-Nevis Red Cross Society, Telca Wallace explained the purpose of hosting the exercise, noting that it aims to test the capacities of recently trained response teams.
The exercise was carried out during the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 12 pm and saw members of the Fire and Rescue Services, the St. Kitts Nevis Defense Force and the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force sprinting into action. There was also members of the public pretending to be survivors during the orchestrated flooding disaster.
Water damaged vehicles that were carried down to the sea by intense flooding helped to enhance the scene and drew much attention from passers-by.
The exercise was also used to test several capacities at the national level including the Flood Hazard Warning System at Lower Monkey Hill and the Basseterre Ferry Terminal, Traffic Department and NEMA Volunteers from Districts 1 and 2.
The Simulation Exercise forms part of the SKNRCS Training Interventions funded under the
Capacity Building Initiative (CBI) for Disaster Preparedness and Response for National Societies within the Caribbean.