BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, April 09, 2021 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – At an informative dialogue held on Thursday (April 08), the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis solicited the assistance of the business community in helping to spread the important message of accepting the COVID-19 vaccination to their employees as well as their customers.
Thursday’s discussion between the Government and the private sector, organized by the Ministry of Finance, was focused on the nation’s safe economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris stated that the safe economic recovery for St. Kitts and Nevis hinges upon how soon the Federation can achieve its goal of 70 percent of the target population being inoculated.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Harris encouraged the business community to find unique ways to encourage their employees and their customers to be vaccinated, possibly through means such as the introduction of incentive packages.
“Those companies that have a little bit more cash or goods, you could come up with creative ideas to reward those who go. If you promise every week, I can get my food stuff free from Rams if I were to go or if my department was to be the first or the second to achieve 70 percent inoculation, that may incentivize some,” Prime Minister Harris said.
Then honourable prime minister said the all-of-society approach, which was successful in the earlier stages of the Government’s approach to protect its citizens against the virus, must now be adopted again throughout the vaccination process.
He said, “The failure of anyone who is eligible to be vaccinated to do so compromises all of us; it comprises your business potential, it comprises our ability to give people opportunities and it compromises the Government’s ability to have resources to give to the poor and needy because no money is coming in.”
The Government, through the Ministry of Health, continues to do its part to sensitize the public on the significance of being vaccinated and its link to the recovery of the nation’s economy.
The ministry has, over the last several weeks, been hosting vaccination clinics and information sessions at the various community centers across St. Kitts. The next session will be held at the Edgar Gilbert Sporting Complex in Molineux on Monday, April 12, at 6:30pm.
