By: Chaïra Flanders
Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 6, 2020 (ZIZ News):
Chairman of the National COVID-19 Task Force, Abdias Samuel says too many persons are asking for exemption during the government implemented 24hr curfew.
Mr. Samuel was at the time providing updates to the general public at the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) briefing held at NEMA on Monday April 6 2020.
He said the requests are being made through the COVID-19 Hotline: 311.
“As it regards to the 311 there were 56 calls for the past 24-hours. There were 54 on Saint Kitts and 2 on Nevis. The national operations Emergency centre would have processed a total of 23 calls; 13 on St. Kitts and 10 on Nevis. Five requests were for curfews, persons are looking for exemptions. Again, let me make this appeal to the general public. The Commissioner of Police is very busy ensuring that you the citizen can sleep well at nights. I would ask you to kindly allow the Assistant Commissioner of Police Adams and the Commissioner of Police Hilroy Brandy to focus on other things”, he explained.
Samuel used the opportunity to remind the public about the importance of the lockdown and thanked those persons who have been cooperating.
“We’re on lockdown and the reason for the lockdown is to help mitigate against the transmission of this disease. Again, this virus does not move. We move the virus”, he said.
He reminded that the measures are put in place not as a form of punishment but to protect residents and citizens and by extension the entire country.
He also revealed that two repatriation flights to St. Kitts-Nevis were scheduled on Tuesday April 7 for the extraction of U.S citizens.