CMO DR. LAWS APPEALS TO WORKERS IN QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION TO SUBMIT REQUEST LETTERS TO THE RELEVANT AUTHORITIES

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 02, 2021 (SKNIS): Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr. Hazel Laws appealed to workers placed in quarantine or isolation as a result of the government’s robust contact tracing exercise to submit their request letters to the relevant authorities to secure their job and income.

“We are asking you to submit your request through the headmaster of either of the six high schools that is if your child or ward is placed in self-quarantine,” said Dr. Laws at the June 01 Emergency NEOC COVID-19 Press Briefing.  “However, if you are not in any way related to the school system, we are asking you to submit your request through the 311 operators such that your letter can be prepared so that you can submit the same to your employer and it can be utilized for your Social Security claims,” the CMO added.

Dr. Laws noted that the 311 operators have received numerous calls regarding the quarantine and isolation order.

“The individuals who are in isolation, meaning the positive cases and those who are in quarantine at a Government COVID-19 certified facility, and those individuals, those family members who are in self-quarantine, they are requesting that official letter that certifies that they were placed in isolation or quarantine in order for them to submit same to their employers,” she said.

Just recently, Minister of Labour, the Honourable Wendy Phipps, noted that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is playing its part by introducing new measures to protect workers who are placed in quarantine or isolation from losing their income during their time away from work due to the exposure to COVID-19. 

She said that the Ministry of Labour is working closely with the Legal Department to ensure that the necessary protections apply to the Social Security Act and that they fall in line with the provisions of the Quarantine Act, the Public Health Act and the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Act.

Minister Phipps appealed to employers to tap into their humanity and their regard for public health regulations and not penalize employees who are away from work due to quarantine or isolation, as directed by authorities due to local transmission.
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