Good Morning to all Anguillians at home and abroad, particularly to those listening on the radio and the internet.
As you are aware, the global Coronavirus pandemic is a serious challenge to all nations across the world, including Anguilla. This is an unprecedented event that poses a direct threat to lives and livelihoods. In Anguilla, we depend heavily on the tourism industry, border and access arrangements with neighboring St. Martin/St. Maarten and the importation of food and other critical supplies. And the readiness of our health service and staff to respond to this threat, disruptions to our education system, and the impact to our local economy are at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
This is a monumental challenge for our government and our people and thus requires a One Anguilla approach – that is, a united approach with all stakeholders involved. To this end, I wish to commend the government for hosting several high-level meetings over the past week to bring our people up to date on the actions being taken, and guidelines to be followed to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID -19) in Anguilla. Such open and transparent consultations are promising and it is my hope that they will continue as the situation unfolds day by day and even hour by hour. I want to emphasize here that this is not a time to play politics, this is a time for principled leadership and collective responsibility in the best interest of Anguilla.
Countries across the world are taking drastic measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is also true for Anguilla and other overseas territories that are facing this pandemic. Such measures include:
- Closure of schools and universities for extended periods
- Implementing the practice of social distancing which includes canceling, postponing and or curtailing large public gatherings
- Closing borders to non-nationals and or restricting entry to persons from areas with high COVID-19 infection rates such as Europe, and Asia.
- Re-emphasizing good hygienic practices such as washing hands regularly with soap and water, using hand sanitizers, disinfecting surfaces, coughing or sneezing into the crook of your elbow or in a tissue which is immediately discarded, and limiting physical contact with others including no handshakes or physical greetings.
As the situation unfolds, I am sure that the government, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, will issue additional guidelines and precautions. I am calling on the people of Anguilla to cooperate fully with these guidelines. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Preventing COVID-19 and its spread in our country is everyone’s business and everyone’s responsibility – and at this time it is our FIRST priority.
As part of the consultative process, several concerns have been raised. I wish now to give voice to some of these concerns as we work together to fight this virus:
1. The first concern is the preparedness of our healthcare system to respond to the COVID-19 global pandemic. We are pleased to learn of an injection of US$250,000 dollars to our healthcare services in response to this crisis, with another US$250,000 earmarked through the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank facility. The British Government has also committed to the construction of an isolation facility with works scheduled to begin very soon indeed.
There is concern about our current capacity in relation to testing for COVID-
19. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is the designated body to carry out testing for member states and is located in Trinidad and Tobago.
I believe that we should make every effort to ramp up our testing capabilities as this is part of the global strategy to flatten the curve in relation to COVID-
19 transmission rates. The more people we are able to test, the quicker we will be able to quarantine and isolate positive cases to prevent the spread of the virus. I am aware that testing has been conducted in Guadeloupe for cases in St. Maarten and perhaps we can, in addition to testing provided by CARPHA, look into the possibility of arranging testing in these jurisdictions which may increase our capacity to test a higher number of suspected cases and possibly reduce our waiting time for results. The ideal situation would be to conduct our own testing here in Anguilla, and this is something we must work towards in the future with assistance from the British Government.
2. Secondly, there is a concern about the availability of medication for those who may potentially contract the virus and will need to address its associated symptoms. As we are aware, the elderly, persons with pre-existing conditions and persons suffering from immuno-deficiencies are at greater risk. As a result of this, the people want to be assured that government is doing everything in its power to mitigate any potential shortages of medication and that our pharmacies will be well equipped through the Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (PPS). This is the official institution within the OECS that procures medicines and allied health equipment on behalf of member states. The availability of ventilator machines is also important to treat patients who may become critically ill and we must act swiftly to secure a sufficient number of these machines to handle critical cases. The role of the private sector in financing this venture is therefore critical.
In addition, recent developments in Cuba have seen the deployment of nurses to our Caribbean neighbors and a special drug known as Interferon Alfa 2b which has been successful in treating COVID-19 in China. Just a couple of days ago the Chief Medical Officer in Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Rashan Parasram, has made a request to Cuba for more information on this drug and its use. This may have potential benefits for our people and I am asking the Minister of Health to look into this and determine the possibility of using this drug in Anguilla.
3. Of critical importance now is how we address the issue of Anguillians returning home. Many persons are concerned about this and rightfully so. Residents returning from countries with high infection and transmission rates such as the USA, UK, and other countries in Europe and Asia should be subject to quarantine or self-isolation that is monitored carefully by our Health Ministry. This is the responsible thing to do. Other countries have already implemented these protocols as a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
4. Fourthly, we are already feeling the adverse economic impact of COVID-19 in Anguilla, with many of our tourists leaving the island early to return home, and many other tourists unable to come into the country due to several travel restrictions as a result of this global pandemic. Our economy is heavily dependent on tourism – loss of revenue among hotels, restaurants, and other services will be a severe blow to our local economy. Growing unemployment rates and the loss of income to households that already live paycheck to paycheck is causing severe anxiety among our people and understandably so.
Many will recall that social protection has been a major platform of mine because it is essential to address these external shocks. Providing cash transfers to the poor, vulnerable and at-risk groups is a critical step that we must take in addition to unemployment benefits. Lessons learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma have given us some level of preparedness to respond to such circumstances, which may have far-reaching consequences for our tourism sector for an extended period of time. For example, the cancellation of Festival Del Mar, an annual event in District One, is a major blow to local business owners, workers, and families. We must do what we can to provide a financial buffer for our people.
Furthermore, we must also look at how we can simplify government to make
the best use of our limited resources particularly at this most challenging time – fiscal measures must be looked at carefully to see how we can reallocate funds to the sectors that need it the most at this time.
Finally, I want to add my voice to a concern related to the upcoming General Elections here in Anguilla. The Coronavirus pandemic is a global threat and preventing its spread must be our number one priority. I met with the Governor earlier this week and raised this issue, citing the actions taken by the British Government to postpone local elections and the London mayoral election from May of this year to 2021. Democratic Presidential candidates in the United States have been criticized openly for continuing their primary elections during this period and some foresee the possibility of delaying the US presidential election in November 2020 if the COVID-19 is not sufficiently under control by then.
Recent studies show the potential of the COVID-19 virus to remain viable in the air for a prolonged period after coughing or sneezing, and to live on some uncleaned surfaces for up to three days. In addition, recommendations from the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) call for persons to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet to prevent the spread of this virus. Therefore, our general elections and how we conduct them is now a critical matter related to public safety and our national security. Postponing the general elections in Anguilla is something that, realistically, we may have to consider, sooner rather than later.
This is an unprecedented threat that we are facing and I urge all Anguillians to cooperate fully and work together to stop the spread of COVID-19. The guidelines being implemented are in the best interest of the health and safety of our people. We must also remember the elderly in our communities who are at greater risk and do all that we can to support them during this difficult time. I am pleased to report that the Island Harbour Care Centre, with assistance from the One Anguilla Youth Movement, will be putting together care packages for the elderly in District One and will begin distribution later today. These are important initiatives that must be applauded and I know that other civil society groups will do their part to make sure that our elders are properly cared for.
I am also calling for a national day of prayer and fasting for our nation and urge the Christian Council to lead in this effort. It is our faith and trust in God that will take us through this difficult period and, with His divine guidance, we will weather this storm.
As I close, I wish to reiterate the measures that each individual can take to prevent the spread of this virus and these are also printed in my article this week in the Anguillian Newspaper:
- Ensuring that shared spaces and work surfaces are cleaned and disinfected frequently.
- Frequent hand washing.
- Covering coughs and sneezes with a disposable tissue or in the crook of a flexed elbow.
- Avoiding contact with persons suffering from or exhibiting symptoms of acute respiratory infections such as the flu, coughs, and colds.
- Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Limiting physical contact with others, including no handshakes or physical greeting and to avoid crowds.
- Although opinions differ on the efficacy of this, Japanese doctors treating COVID-19 suggest that you should ensure your mouth & throat are moist, never dry. Take a few sips of water (not iced water) as frequently as possible. They say that even if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water or other liquids can wash them down through your throat and into the stomach, instead of entering your windpipe and into the lungs.
- I have been personally following the advice of Dr. Jean Michel Bichot, a medical practitioner in French St Martin, formerly associated with the Paris Centre for the Control of Epidemics, who advocates a simple concoction to offset the symptoms of any serious flu virus:
Simmer for 10 minutes in 1.5 litres of water: a star of Badiane (Star Aneth)
and 5 cloves. Drink within 24 to 36 hours from the onset of symptoms.
Dr Bichot adds: this preparation can be recommended for all viral diseases; the ingredients are highly viricidal. However, Star Anise should not be used by pregnant women or children under 6 years old.
Finally, I want to thank our border agents, immigration officers, and our healthcare workers, who are working very hard to protect Anguilla from this virus. You are on the front line. We thank you for your service and we must ensure that you are given all the equipment necessary to protect yourselves.
This is a very critical time for our nation. We must all take collective responsibility to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and work together to mitigate this significant challenge to Anguilla. As Leader of the Opposition, I pledge my full support to the government and people of Anguilla as we work together to overcome this global pandemic.
May God Bless us all, and may God bless Anguilla, Always.
