BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, February 03, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – Through strong and effective leadership that saw the implementation of effective protocols and non-pharmaceutical measures, the small island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis was able to weather the COVID-19 storm better than most countries.
PrimeMinister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris, speaking during Tuesday (February 02) night’s edition of Leadership Matters, stated that his administration made the right decisions very early on that kept the nation safe and healthy during the worst pandemic in living memory.
Todate, St. Kitts and Nevis has the lowest number of COVID-19 confirmed cases of all independent countries in the American hemisphere, and there have been no deaths and no major hospitalizations as a result of the deadly disease.
“We have a success story to tell the world and it includes the following lessons: early preparation in advance of the pandemic helped to save lives in St. Kitts and Nevis and prevented the overwhelming of our health system here; tough decisions were taken like curfews, closing our borders, saying no to the entry of carriers from high-risk destinations. Safety of our country certainly cannot be subordinated to the profit interests of individuals and entities. Their concern is their bottom line. The government’s interest must always be the safety and welfare of the people,” Dr. Harris said.
Theprime minister further noted that his Government adopted an all-of-society approach to the management of the situation and faithfully followed the science as it pertains to the Novel Coronavirus.
Asa result, every area of socio-economic life in St. Kitts and Nevis is now operating as near normal as they could be under the current circumstances.
“Our successes, in my view, can become part of an international best practice. We have held over the last 11 months constitutionally due elections at the height of a pandemic using COVID-19 protocols, and according to CARICOM and local observers, our elections were free and fair. We held a successful National Carnival and this brought the largest social media viewership in its history. Although our borders have reopened, we have been able to contain the number of COVID-19 cases. Thank God that in St. Kitts and Nevis at this time we have no community spread, no cluster spread and no deaths,” the honourable prime minister said.
PrimeMinister Harris further noted that by continuing our vigilance, discipline and sacrifice “we can save lives, protect our small and fragile health system and put our country on a path to growth realizing the eight percent economic growth projected for St. Kitts and Nevis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
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