The view has been expressed by Opposition Parliamentarians that, with Anguilla being fortunate not to have any known community spread of the coronavirus, there is a need for the populace to continue to remain guarded against the disease.
The view was that of the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, and her colleague, Mr. Evans Rogers, both former Ministers of the Anguilla United Front Government. They were speaking during their presentation of Just the Facts, their Radio Anguilla programme, on Monday, April 12.
Mr. Rogers observed that, despite the threat of COVID-19, there were large gatherings in Anguilla such as the just-ended Festival Del Mar, and that there was a need for persons to continue to pay attention to the basic requirements to avoid the spread of the virus.
“I am a bit concerned in terms of their responsibility and the way that my people, Anguillians, are really carrying themselves with respect to the COVID,” he stated. “It is still active and out there. Yes, we may be fortunate in the sense that we have not identified any community spread as yet, but I believe that some of the basic things should continue to be observed…I don’t want us to be complacent and let down our guard because there is no community spread as yet, and I hope it would never happen. But, at the same time, everybody is shaking hands, hugging and kissing cheeks.
“I would like to encourage all Anguillians to go out and get the jab or the vaccinations. It is not only going to assist you. It will also assist you from contracting the disease and from spreading it to your immediate family members.”
Noting that the Government is planning to reopen the island fully in the coming months, Mr. Rogers hoped that testing for the virus would continue for some time or until the global pandemic subsides.
Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge said in part: “It has been about a year that COVID has made itself known, from Anguilla’s perspective, when we closed down our boarders in March 2020. You had the initial fear and over the months, with the boarders being closed, persons are [still] being tested on arrival and placed into quarantine, but there has been a certain amount of relaxation in terms of the protocols such as washing of hands and sanitising. Social distancing has not been adhered to and I think we are almost victims of our own success.”
She added: “Successive Governments have been able to put something in place to protect the people, but now we need to move to the next stage because the country will need to be reopened at some point – and testing may not continue on arrival…”
While Mr. Rogers agreed that there is a need to reopen Anguilla, he stressed that the people of the island should continue to pay attention to the safety protocols, while the screening of visitors is continuing.
Meanwhile, he was particularly concerned that it was recently reported that a number of visitors had tested negatively when they arrived in Anguilla, but noted that on their departure they had tested positive. He saw this as a matter of much concern.
