Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 1, 2022 (SKNIS): St. Kitts and Nevis’ has successfully managed the COVID-19 pandemic with all signs pointing to the continued growth of the economy and the full resumption of pre-pandemic activities.
Dr. Cameron Wilkinson, Medical Chief of Staff of the Joseph N. France General Hospital, said that the twin-island Federation, which has no government vaccine mandate, has one of the highest vaccination population coverage in the region with 82.9 percent of adults having one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine and 77.8 percent of adults being fully vaccinated.
“It was because we as a people remained united in our efforts that we were successful. And I do believe that as we begin to emerge from the stranglehold that COVID-19 has had on our everyday life, it is our combined efforts that will take us into a successful post-pandemic era for the benefit of all,” Dr. Wilkinson expressed.
“We are continually asked by our Caribbean colleagues ‘how we were able to have such a successful vaccine rollout programme’ while others struggled,” Dr. Wilkinson stated, at the March 30, 2022 briefing by the National Emergency Operation Centre. “The answer we give is encapsulated in one word, confidence. Our people had confidence in the message that was being delivered through our education programme about the vaccines and their safety and efficacy. Our people had confidence in the health services offering the vaccine which is why they turned out in their large numbers at our health centres in St. Kitts and Nevis to be vaccinated.”
St. Kitts and Nevis has a total of 43-related COVID-19 deaths. The COVID ward at the J. N. F. General Hospital has been closed for the past 5 weeks as newly diagnosed cases avoided serious illness. As of March 29, 2022. There are no active cases of COVID-19 in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The Medical Chief of Staff added that the population also had confidence in policymakers as well as the knowledge and competencies of health authorities.
