Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 18, 2021 (SKNIS): Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Hazel Laws, says that choosing to take the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine is choosing to protect oneself and others from the deadly COVID-19 virus.
Dr. Laws explained this during her presentation at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Press Briefing on February 17 at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Headquarters at Lime Kiln.
In her presentation, she revealed her decision to take the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine, which is already in the Federation.
She explained the reason for her decision to take the vaccine saying that the vaccine minimizes her risk of becoming severely ill or dying.
“If I were to contract the disease, one of five things can happen to me, I can recover without any symptoms; or I may develop mild symptoms via cough, runny nose, stuffiness and then recover; I can become moderately ill and recover, or I can become severely ill or die.”
She continued, “If I opt to take the AstraZeneca/Oxford University vaccine, the scientists and the clinical data assure me that I will be protected from severe illness and death from COVID.”
“Even when we vaccinate our people, we are going to have to continue adhering to the public health measures of wearing our face mask, maintaining adequate hand hygiene, and maintaining a safe distance from others when in public,” said the Chief Medical Officer.
“We will have to continue these essential public health options until a significant proportion of our population has developed immunity against this virus, until a significant proportion of our population has received the vaccine,” she added.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 12, 2021 (SKNIS): St. Kitts & Nevis’ Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, said that the procurement in the first instance of 21, 600 doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine, will provide coverage for 20 percent of the national population.
She said this during the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Press Briefing on February 10. “The doses are the product of AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccines,” she said.
“The start date for delivery can be as early as mid to late February, however, there were some conditions where the specific date of delivery would be dependent on the WHO Emergency Use List Approval Process and some other steps which include our own implementation of our vaccination plan and our regulatory preparedness,” said Dr. Laws.
“It specified that about 25 – 35% of the amount will be supplied in the first quarter and about 65-75% in the second quarter,” she said.
“The data from the clinical trials suggest that it offers a 62 percent efficacy, but the clinical trials have since found that the vaccine had an efficacy of about 82 percent when two doses were given 12 weeks apart,” said Dr. Laws.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 28, 2021 (SKNIS): To assist in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in St. Kitts & Nevis, a generous family in London donated four (4) Samsung tablets to the National COVID-19 Task Force to be used by the Public Health Team.
The Wallace family through the Office of the High Commissioner in London presented the electronic devices to High Commissioner His Excellency Dr. Kevin Isaac, who shipped them to the Federal Ministry of Health in St. Kitts & Nevis.
The tablets were presented to the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws, by Medical Chief of Staff at the Joseph N. France General Hospital, Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, during the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Weekly Briefing at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Conference Room on January 27, 2021.
“These tablets were donated by the Wallace family, parents Robert and Mildred Wallace, and son Lionel Wallace. This donation is said to be for the expressed purpose of distribution to the COVID-19 Task Force of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Dr. Wilkinson. “They are to be used by the public health officers in the performance of their duties in COVID-19 testing and tabulation of information in the field with the ability to connect with the online laboratory information system.”
“We also want to thank Dr. Jeffers and NextGen Laboratories who were helpful in coordinating this venture and bore the cost of the shipment of these tablets from the United Kingdom,” he said.
“The all of society approach that we have emphasized continues to work and we are grateful to the citizens in the Diaspora and those locally who have stepped forward to the call for service,” Dr. Wilkinson added.
In receiving the tablets, Dr. Hazel Laws said, “It is with pleasure that I accept these four tablets from the donor in the United Kingdom. On behalf of St. Kitts and Nevis COVID-19 National Task Force and the Health Emergency Operations Committee, I want to say a hearty thank you for these four Samsung tablets.”
Two of the tablets are to be donated to the Ministry of Health in Nevis.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, January 27, 2021 (SKNIS): The Team Unity Cabinet of Ministers met on Monday, January 25, 2021, 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.
https://youtu.be/ls-nnx3S_0Q
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 23, 2020 (SKNIS): British Airways (BA) flights between the United Kingdom (UK) and the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis have been suspended for two weeks, from Saturday, December 26, 2020, to Saturday, January 2, 2021, as a safety measure after a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 Virus (Novel Coronavirus) was discovered in the United Kingdom.
The announcement was made at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing on December 23, 2020, by Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws.
The Federation joins several other countries worldwide in instituting the suspension to monitor the situation so as not to put their populations at risk.
On 14th December 2020, authorities in the United Kingdom reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) the new variant of the Novel Coronavirus.
Cases of the new variant have been detected outside of the UK. Cases were detected in Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, and South Africa, all resulting from travel.
Scientists have reported that the new variant of the Novel Coronavirus has higher transmissibility, estimated between 40 and 70 percent. However, their initial analysis suggests there is no change in the severity of illness or the mortality rate, no reports of poorer clinical outcomes, no higher mortality, and no specific population group that has been affected.
Additionally, there is currently no evidence that the mutations in the spike protein will affect vaccine efficacy.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 24, 2020 (SKNIS): Abdias Samuel, Chair of the National COVID-19 Task Force, appealed to all travelers arriving in St. Kitts and Nevis to upload certified and accurate test results and other pertinent information to knatravelform.kn for smooth processing of their online immigration and customs forms, as well as entry into the Federation.
“Persons are uploading receipts and things that cannot be verified and that will not be accepted. Please ensure that when you upload your test it verifies everything – the lab, the location of the lab, and the information…,” said Mr. Samuel during a special National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing on November 24, 2020.
Mr. Samuel said that persons who are using home kit testing and others will not be accepted.
“The Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction [Laboratory Based Molecular Test] is what will be accepted and not any rapid test or any other type of test. It is very important that you do so and if you do not do so and there is no means of verifying these tests your application will not be processed.”
He noted that persons who are uploading incorrect information are putting others at risk.
“We are seeing a number of irregularities as it regards to the approval process where persons are attempting to circumvent the system with uploading wrong test, wrong information and doing other things in order for them to travel,” he said. “You are jeopardizing the travelers who are travelling with you, you are jeopardizing the country at large and everybody else that you come into contact with. We are appealing to everyone who wants to travel to St. Kitts and Nevis to do so and do so the right way.”
He reiterated that the right way is to visit knatravelform.kn and follow the requirements.
Mr. Samuel thanked the team responsible for the vetting process and noted that they are going above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that travelers understand the requirements.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 19, 2020 (SKNIS): Businesses and enterprises in St. Kitts and Nevis are strongly encouraged to develop robust capacity rotation plans to ensure social distancing and limit congestion during the Discounted Value Added Tax (VAT) Rate Days slated for December 18 and 19, 2020.
“I would encourage the development, a rotation, a plan to ensure social and physical distance, and reducing the crowded spaces. This is going to be very critical going forward,” said Abdias Samuel, Chair of the National COVID-19 Task Force on the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for November 18, 2020. “We know that some businesses will see some high volume of persons entering their businesses for shopping and as such, we have to limit this in some way.”
Mr. Samuel encouraged businesses to reach out to the National COVID-19 Task Force for assistance if necessary.
Businesses are also asked to follow all other health and safety protocols that were established to keep everyone safe.
“I am appealing to the business places to develop a plan. It will be critically important for you to develop a plan as per sanitization and the process of ingress [enter] and egress [exit] from your enterprise,” he said. “We also have to look at the security component of the business – how would you deal with traceability, who comes in and who goes out, how long persons will remain inside of your enterprise or business and how do we safely carry out physical and social distancing. And equally so, how would you safeguard your staff, and workers during such a time.”
Consumers are also encouraged to play their part, adhere to all protocols, and assist businesses to effectively carry out their rotation plan.
“One of the discussions we had with one of the major business places is persons who like to come in and just socialize rather than shop, and at this point, you have to take that responsibility in ensuring that you don’t go there to socialize but rather you go to do business and leave,” said Mr. Samuel
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 18, 2020 (SKNIS): The National Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2020, which had its first reading on October 15, 2020, was passed by the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’ National Assembly on November 18, 2020.
Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis and Mover of the Bill, stated that the purpose of the Bill is to make for greater alignment between the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) within the national disaster legislative framework.
“Mr. Speaker, this is a very short Bill and it is a very consequential Bill that follows naturally from the discussions we would have been having with regard to COVID-19 and other related matters as they all attend in relation to the pandemic,” said Prime Minister Harris.
“We anticipate Mr. Speaker that there will be further and more comprehensive reviews and modifications of the National Disaster Management Act to seek and ensure that the administrative and institutional framework that is well established under the National Disaster Management Plan is captured under the new law,” he said.
The Prime Minister additionally said, “In fact, the National Disaster Management Plan regulates collaboration and the coordination of efforts during times of disaster and emergency and it goes without saying Mr. Speaker that ideally all the relevant persons and agencies should be well aligned during the critical times.”
“In that vein Mr. Speaker, the expression NEMA has been defined and its power has been clearly articulated. Similarly, the NEOC, which is the National Emergency Operations Center, its location has been identified and linked of course to the National Emergency Management Agency,” said Prime Minister Harris.
He mentioned as well that there are a number of different persons and agencies involved in various disaster management exercises and they may at times have similar or overlapping responsibilities.
Prime Minister Harris said that “We know that we have a personal duty and responsibility to take care of ourselves and our families by wearing masks and sanitizing our hands, practicing physical distancing—all of these were covered in the legislation which we debated before, and what this attempts to do is to put a stronger footing in the operations at NEMA and the NEOC and to ensure that we have an alignment of the COVID-19 Bill in terms of the expectations and the coordinating role.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 12, 2020 (SKNIS): With the increase in rainfall in St. Kitts and Nevis over the past couple of days, persons are encouraged to monitor their homes and surroundings to protect themselves and others against dengue fever.
This was according to Dr. Hazel Laws, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), during the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for November 11, 2020. She was at the time speaking on the rise of dengue fever throughout the region. She encouraged them to follow a few tips to remain safe.
“We are getting a lot of rain now and so it would be irresponsible of me if I don’t remind you that we need to make sure we use good mosquito repellants. Rain is falling but we need to go out and make sure there isn’t any stagnant standing water in and around homes, make sure our windows and doors are well screened, and wear protective clothing. All of this is an attempt to prevent a dengue outbreak,” said Dr. Laws.
Mosquitoes breed in standing water and persons are encouraged to empty, clean, and dispose of containers around their homes that can hold water.
Dengue viruses are spread to people through the bite of an infected Aedes species (Ae. aegypti or Ae. albopictus) mosquito. These mosquitoes also spread Zika, Chikungunya, and other viral infections.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 12, 2020 (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis officially reopened its borders to international commercial flights and travellers on October 31. As such, Dr. Hazel Laws, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), has encouraged the general public to adhere to all COVID-19 protocols as everyone has a responsibility to prevent a second wave of infections.
“Those of us who are here in the Federation have a responsibility in terms of preventing a second wave of infections,” said Dr. Laws at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for November 11, 2020.
Dr. Laws said that the idea is to not see a surge in cases like some countries in the region.
“Each of the countries who would have opened their borders and have accepted international travellers, we have seen a surge in the number of cases and so we want our experience, or we are hoping that our experience is different,” she said. “We can make a very strong effort such that this is not our experience.
CMO Laws said to prevent a second wave the general public needs to adopt non-pharmaceutical interventions such as wearing a mask when in public spaces and avoiding crowds and super spreader events. Practicing good hygiene and sanitization habits and observing social and physical distancing protocols are also key measures to keeping everyone safe.
“These are the measures that have proven very effective in curtailing the spread of this virus from one individual to another,” she added.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 22, 2020 (SKNIS): The new COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2020, which received its first reading in National Assembly on October 15, will ensure a more permanent solution to public safety when it passes.
“This Bill is intended to replace the Emergency Powers COVID-19 Regulations and provide a more permanent legal framework to regulate the containment of the spread of COVID-19 in the Federation,” said Superintendent of Police Cromwell Henry at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for October 21, 2020. “The main provisions of the COVID-19 Regulations which we are quite familiar with will form part of this new Bill.”
All ports of entry, as well as stakeholders within the tourism sector, will also be guided by the COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2020.
“It will also give legal effect to all the protocols that will be implemented at our air and sea ports for incoming travelers and at our hotels and other tourism sites. There will be a strict regime of COVID-19 inspections and certification for all major sectors of our economy – our hotels, taxi and tour operators, sea transportation and boating sector, tourism-related sites and educational institutions,” he said. “All sectors will be required to satisfactorily show that they can safely operate in a manner that significantly minimizes risk to public health.”
Superintendent Henry touched briefly on the Compliance Task Force, noting that a “critical and important component” to the Federation’s “efforts to prevent the spread will be compliance.”
“Therefore, the law makes provisions for a compliance team and has given this team broad authority to enter businesses, enterprises and offices to ensure compliance with the provisions of the law. The compliance team is also empowered to monitor all social events to ensure that these events have the necessary approvals from the Commissioner of Police and are complying with the terms and conditions of such approval,” he said.
Equally important, there is also protection for the team. As mandated by law, anyone who obstructs a member of the National COVID-19 Task Force or the Compliance Task Force will be liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
As St. Kitts and Nevis prepares for the October 31 official reopening of the borders, Superintendent Henry encouraged citizens and residents to adopt the non-pharmaceutical interventions such as wearing a mask, practicing good hygiene and sanitization habits and observing social and physical distancing protocols. These, he said, should keep everyone safe.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 15, 2020 (SKNIS): As St. Kitts and Nevis prepares to officially reopen its borders on October 31, 2020, Superintendent of Police Cromwell Henry said that it is important for inbound travelers to be quarantined to help stop any possible spread of COVID-19.
“Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. It helps to prevent the spread of the disease that can occur before a person knows they are sick or if they are affected with the virus without feeling symptoms,” said Superintendent Henry at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for October 14, 2020. “People in quarantine should stay at home or at a designated place, separate themselves from others, monitor their health, and follow directions of the health authorities.”
Superintendent Henry said that to protect citizens and residents inbound travelers will be subjected to quarantine protocols.
“All travelers entering the Federation will be required to quarantine for 14 days unless you are travelling from a country that is considered low-risk. This quarantine can either be at a designated site or your residence subject to the approval of the CMO [Chief Medical Officer] and the National COVID-19 Task Force,” he said. “I must emphasize that home quarantine has to be approved before entry and the terms and conditions associated with this quarantine must be agreed to before it can be permitted.”
He reminded the general public to follow the protocols implemented to keep everyone safe.
“All the measures that we recommend – quarantine, wearing a mask, sanitization, social and physical distancing – are intended to reduce our risk of contracting or spreading the virus and so we urge your full cooperation,” said the superintendent.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 27, 2020 (SKNIS): The Ministry of Education has implemented a shift system for several primary and secondary schools in St. Kitts because of spatial issues concerning physical and social distancing protocols.
The Washington Archibald and Basseterre High Schools, as well as the Tucker Clarke, Sandy Point and Dr. William Connor Primary Schools and the Cotton ThomaDr Ds Comprehensive School will be a part of the shift system when school reopens in September 2020.
“We take this opportunity to crave the understanding of parents and students within our high schools as work would commence in the TVET spaces. This is to help provide for better classrooms that are conducive to learning. So, we will have to endure a bit of inconvenience just for a few months because we are grateful for this,” said Chief Education Officer (CEO), Dr. Debbie Isaac, at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for August 26, 2020.
Dr. Isaac said that parents will receive additional information on the shift system at the respective PTA meetings.
All teachers are expected to report to their respective schools on September 07 and 08, while students of the primary and secondary schools along with Cotton Thomas Comprehensive School will return on September 09. Early Childhood institutions would return in full on September 07.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, August 10, 2020 (SKNIS): As St. Kitts and Nevis prepares to reopen its borders all incoming passengers must submit a negative RT-PCR Test 72 hours before arriving into the Federation.
“Effective Monday, August 10, 2020, all incoming passengers into St. Kitts and Nevis must provide a negative RT_PCR test 72 hours prior to arriving,” said Abdias Samuel, Chair of the COVID-19 National Task Force during the August 08 edition of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing.
All tests must be submitted to the Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hazel Laws. The email address is hazel.laws@gov.kn.
Mr. Samuel said that the relevant authorities continue to ensure that the borders are properly managed to protect citizens and residents from the spread of the coronavirus.
“We continue to control our borders, our borders are closed. However, we have said we are going in phases whereby we started with the preparation of our nationals, then we moved onto our residents. From residents, we know we have a number of individuals who are working in St. Kitts and Nevis and they are contributing to our economic activities, hence, we allowed them to also return,” he added.
Persons who are married to citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, investors, as well as students studying on the island were also allowed to return.
“We are gradually allowing these activities to happen under an extremely controlled measure,” said Mr. Samuel.
He reflected on a recent incident where a vessel occupied by one person travelled from St. Martin on its way to Guadeloupe but decided to enter St. Kitts and Nevis’ closed borders and berth at Oualie where the person was able to purchase items at the restaurant, used the bathroom facilities before being intercepted.
“This is why, because we don’t have an outbreak in St. Kitts and Nevis, we need to still be vigilant. It is critical. This is why every day we get up and continue the fight. I am appealing to the general public to understand what we are trying to do to protect you and your livelihoods and I am asking you to remain vigilant,” said Mr. Samuel.
He reiterated that persons need to be extremely vigilant because once the borders reopen cases are sure to come, and as long as we don’t build that resilience before such time, the population of St. Kitts and Nevis can be adversely affected.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, August 06, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The St. Kitts and Nevis Travel Approved Seal that is being issued to tourism stakeholders upon completion of their mandatory COVID-19 sensitization sessions facilitated by the Ministry of Tourism is a unique feature that will separate the Federation’s tourism product from those of its competitors.
That’s according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority, Ms. Racquel Brown. Ms. Brown’s remarks came while providing an update to Government ministers and representatives of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce during a meeting on Wednesday (August 05).
The seal will identify entities and operators within the tourism industry who have undergone the required training to meet the minimum health and safety COVID-19 protocols.
CEO Brown stated that an issuance of the St. Kitts and Nevis Travel Approved Seal is the most critical component of the COVID-19 sensitization sessions, as stakeholders within the tourism sector who did not receive this approved seal will not be permitted to operate in the new environment.
“It is that seal which says you have gone through the training, you’ve gone through the protocols and you have met the criteria. What the Travel Approved Seal does is that it says to a tour operator or it says to a consumer when they go on a website and they see this seal they will see the entities that are recommended for them to go and visit and to travel. They can go and see what are the criteria they are supposed to meet in terms of the protocols. That’s going to be very important for us in terms of separating ourselves from the rest of the pack. We are ensuring at this point that we’ve kept our citizens and our residents safe and so we can say to our visitors, when you come here, we are equally taking care of you,” Ms. Brown explained.
Ms. Brown stated that the mandatory training sessions commenced on July 22 with restaurants and bars and tour operators who operate coasters buses.
“Those two sectors of the tourism industry were chosen specifically because they had already gotten the approvals from the NEOC [National Emergency Operations Center]. We are moving now to hotels that want to open up their restaurants, for example, Park Hyatt as they are looking to opening up Fisherman’s Village, so we started training with them [on Wednesday],” Ms. Brown stated.
The CEO of the Tourism Authority noted that the training being done on St. Kitts is being carried out in conjunction with the Nevis Tourism Authority “so whatever it is we are doing here, it is the same protocols that are in Nevis for tourism.”
The COVID-19 sensitization sessions are expected to continue into the month of September and will cater to all stakeholders of the tourism sector. These include taxi operators, hotels, vendors, beach bars, retail stores, water and land based tour operators and watersports providers.
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