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 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 lock down,” 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.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 02, 2020 (SKNIS): The inclement weather generated by the passage of a series of tropical waves over St. Kitts and Nevis over the past few days caught many residents off guard.
On Wednesday, September 30, the Federation experienced severe thunderstorms throughout the morning with sporadic rainfall throughout the day. The following day (Thursday), residents raised concern about high wind gusts that broke tree branches and caused minor damages.
National Disaster Coordinator, Abdias Samuel, said that he received many telephone calls early on Wednesday and Thursday from residents who questioned if work or school was cancelled on those specific days.
He said that the weather activity was forecast in advance and alerts were issued publicly via the media and on social media.
“It’s important for the general public to remain updated. NEMA (the National Emergency Management Agency) has been providing information on time, real-time as it is provided to us by the Met (meteorological) offices,” Mr. Samuel stated.
He added that the information can be accessed online via NEMA’s Facebook Page as well as the website www.nema.kn.
The information is also shared with private sector entities and other key stakeholders such as the St. Christopher Air and Sea Ports Authority.
The forecast is for a wet weekend in St. Kitts and Nevis.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 23, 2020 (ZIZ News):
A senior official of the National Emergency Management Agency is praising the quick action of Cayon residents who responded to the damages caused by the passage of Tropical Storm Laura on Saturday in their area.
ZIZ News caught up Deputy National Disaster Coordinator, Claricia Langley Stevens in Water Works on Saturday where she said a large Sandbox Tree said to be more than 200 years old was blown into the road near the Anglican Church cemetery, damaging power lines and blocking traffic.
Mrs Langley Stevens said before she even arrived on the scene the residents were already out clearing the area and using tools to break down the tree to get it out of the road.
She commended their quick action.
“I am particularly impressed because the community did not wait for first responders,” she said. “They started using their own tools and equipment to start cutting the tree into pieces to get it out of the roadways and their making tremendous success.”
Mrs Langley Stevens said the tree reportedly fell at about 2 am and the residents were in action just after the all clear at 6 am.
The District Manager, police officers, SKELEC and The Cable representatives were also on site making assessments and repairs.
The tree was removed and the flow of traffic resumed by Saturday evening.
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Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 30, 2020 (SKNIS): Potential Tropical cyclone #9 drenched St. Kitts and Nevis with rain on late Tuesday and on Wednesday (July 28 and 29) causing waterways to flood, while winds gusting close to 50 miles per hour toppled electrical poles and trees.
The tropical disturbance passed to the South of the twin-island federation but made an impression with its wide rain bands. The tropical disturbance has since been upgraded to a Tropical Storm with the name Isaias.
National Disaster Coordinator, Abdias Samuel, said that residents need to maintain a vigilant stance as the Atlantic Hurricane Season continues.
“We ask that you remain in a high state of preparedness and continue to monitor your local weather forecast from the Met [meteorology] Office,” Mr Samuel stated at the July 29 National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) Briefing.
The National Disaster Coordinator also advised individuals to pay close attention to bulletins from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nevis Disaster Management Department, and local radio stations.
The Atlantic Hurricane Season began on June 01 and ends on November 30. Experts stated that the season would be above normal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is forecasting a likely range of 13 to 19 named storms of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes including 3 to 6 major hurricanes.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 28, 2020 (SKNIS): The Team Unity Cabinet of Ministers met on Monday, July 27, 2020, at the Ministry of Finance Conference Room, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris. Several issues affecting the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis were deliberated on.