Government ministers during the first airing of the virtual meeting forum, Leadership Matters. (L-R): the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd; Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris; Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Shawn Richards.
The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, led by Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, has employed a number of avenues to keep people informed as the Federation, like most countries across the world, attempt to flatten the curve as with the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
To date, Dr. Harris has made a number of official addresses to the nation in his capacity as prime minister. Additionally, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) hosts daily media briefings at the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and the National COVID-19 Task Force continues to inform the nation via radio and television appearances and social media updates.
Furthermore, the Government is continuing with its Leadership Matters virtual meeting series. During this forum, citizens and residents are given the opportunity to phone in and address their concerns directly to Government ministers, including Prime Minister Harris and Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable Shawn Richards.
During the Tuesday (March 31) night live broadcast of Leadership Matters, a number of persons phoned into the show to commend the Government on its handling of the crisis and for keeping the nation well informed with accurate and up to date information.
One caller said, “I want to thank you all for leading the country the way you all are doing it and I want to thank the prime minister for exhibiting good leadership in this time of crisis because this is a serious worldwide crisis.”
Another caller encouraged the members of the Team Unity Government “to be steadfast and unmovable and to keep doing the work for this country because we are living in critical times and you all can only do what you can do.”
Prime Minister Harris said that his Government has been sensitive to the problems that every citizen and resident will now face with respect to the impact of COVID-19, noting, “That is why to date we have announced the largest stimulus package ever—the most comprehensive stimulus package ever that responds to the needs of the farmers, the fishers, the self-employed people, the taxi men, the vendors of fruits and vegetables where ever they are.”
The honourable prime minister used last night’s virtual meeting to reiterate his call for persons to respect the 24-hour lock-down that will run for three days to further protect citizens and residents from the spread of the COVID-19 virus, popularly known as the Novel Coronavirus.
“All we are asking and pleading, let us for this moment stay at home as much as we can. We believe that what we are doing will help us to win this war against one of the most deadly pandemics that we have experienced for this century,” Prime Minister Harris said.