The expansive conference room at the Ministry of Finance was filled to capacity on Tuesday, March 17. It was a mass consultative meeting for stakeholders from across Anguilla, called by the Government and the Health Authority, to discuss what was being done to safeguard the island and its people from the coronavirus. It was a follow-up to several consultations since the middle of January.
The list of invited persons and organisations included the Anguilla Christian Council; the Anguilla Evangelical Association; the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association; the Taxi Association; ferryboat owners; the Anguilla Chamber of Commerce and Industry; individual business representatives; the Anguilla Bar Association; political leaders; service clubs and others.
Premier Victor Banks put the meeting into perspective: “It is important for all stakeholders to meet with the Government to share what we are thinking, and for you to share with us your views and your situation,” he explained. “This will enable us to include these matters in our response to this very serious Covid-19 pandemic. I also want to say that this is a national and non-political matter and that the health and security of our people, is the most important consideration.”
The Premier attracted much applause when he stated: “I commend the Ministry of Health for the work they have done to date. They have been brilliant and need our commendation. They have not wasted any time, and have in fact spent one million dollars – that was not approved in the budget – to take this matter forward. It includes equipment; construction work; consultations; personnel; and a number of measures that have to be taken as a matter of urgency.”
The Premier said the Government had “ramped-up its meetings to make decisions regarding the response to the virus.” The meetings involved Ministers of Government, the Governor’s Office, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Department, officials of the Health Authority, the accommodation sector and others. He spoke about the various releases issued about the virus, and the need to constantly change plans and statements due to the rapid evolving of the infectious situation – “not only in a matter of days, but sometimes hours.”
Premier Banks stated that although there were no confirmed cases of the virus in Anguilla, there was a need to embark on containment and management initiatives to stem the infection and spread of the disease.
Other speakers at the head table were the Minister of Health, Mr. Evans Rogers, who gave a detailed account of the work of his Ministry and the Health Authority – and the hope to undertake preliminary tests for the virus in Anguilla; the Minister of Home Affairs, Mrs. Cora Richardson Hodge, who spoke about the plan of action whereby schools have been closed to safeguard the health of children and teachers; the security of the island’s workforce especially in the hotel and tourism sector; and Government’s plans to provide financial assistance, through Social Security, for persons out of work as a result of loss of employment; the Permanent Secretary in the Minister of Health, Mr. Foster Rogers, who spoke about plans for quarantine and isolation facilities, among other matters; and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Aisha Andrewin, who gave a comprehensive report about her monitoring and prevention work; testing of persons for the virus; and sending of tests to the Caribbean Public Health Agency in Trinidad for negative or positive confirmation.
During the course of his address, the Permanent Secretary, Health, took the opportunity to inform the stakeholders about some of the preparations and funding for the control of the COVID-19. He reported that a permanent isolated unit would be constructed near the hospital compound to accommodate 12 persons. In the interim, a current temporary facility is in place for 10 persons. The temporary facility is located at a repurposed section of the psychiatric ward. In order to provide that facility, it was arranged for some patients, who could be returned to their homes, to be discharged there and managed by their families.
Mr. Rogers acknowledged that the response of the British Government, through the Governor’s Office, and the Crown Agents, had been very positive. Among other matters, considerable sums of money have been provided to purchase specific equipment to test for the coronavirus; expand the hospital laboratory; and build a permanent isolation unit.
The Permanent Secretary and all the other speakers were applauded by a number of persons in the gathering for their full and excellent presentations. Several questions were raised regarding further decisions to be taken by the Government, and the Health Authority, to deal with the threatening COVID-19 situation to Anguilla.
Some of the questions included the need to close the boarders of Anguilla, but taking into account the fact that there were Anguillians abroad who wanted to return home; and, as already reported, the illegal entry of persons into Anguilla at non-authorised ports of entry – thus putting the people of Anguilla at risk of contracting the disease.
Another matter of concern was price gouging whereby some business places were reportedly unfairly, and substantially, increasing the cost of certain essential items including sanitary products, where available, as well as foodstuff; and hoarding whereby persons were grabbing up supplies from supermarkets without consideration of the needs of others – resulting in unnecessary shortages on the shelves. The commentators stressed that this was a matter to be dealt with without delay.
