Anguilla’s former Minister of Health, Mr. Evans Rogers, has called on his successor, Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster, (who is also Premier), to pay attention to large gatherings in the community in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Mr. Rogers, a health professional, with training in Medical Technology, made the call on Monday, August 23. He was at the time speaking with the Leader of the Opposition, Mrs. Cora Richardson-Hodge, on their radio programme Just The Facts.
“I am concerned about the increasing numbers of the coronavirus [cases] in Anguilla at this particular point and time,” he said. “We have a pretty close-knit community. I saw in The Anguillian newspaper the new measures to control the virus, but I just want to put out there, to the general public, that this COVID situation, with the Delta and other strains coming up, is a serious thing. We have to be united in our approach to combatting this COVID-19. It is here with us and we must prepare to live with it – and so on. We have personal responsibilities to deal with it, but I am admonishing the Government that while we have the information from various sources, we have to lead.
“This is not a criticism. It is an observation which I am disturbed about. I know that the Health Team is doing as much as they can…but, at the end of the day, while one section of the protocol is working, we still cannot rest on our laurels and think that the whole thing is working. If you drive around, as I do, at the weekend, it is hard to believe that the folks are taking this virus seriously. I am not saying to enforce some of these measures on our people of closing down, and staying at home, if they don’t have a need to come out. But, for heaven’s sake, there must be some sort of restrictions in terms of bars, the food strip, and other places where you find these gatherings.”
Mr. Rogers continued: “The fact that you hear about some places closing down, it is an indication that something is out there – and we need to get a grip on it quickly. I am saying to the Premier, as a medical professional, please take hold of this. You are in a position to be able to do that. I can’t tell you what to do because you are the Leader of Government Business. But, from a healthcare perspective – if the contamination is wide-spread or whether you call it a cluster or community spread – let us grab it, as it is now, and really put some restrictions – in terms of movement of folks – in place.
“I am not banging on the folks who have a little business whether on the food strip or wherever. I am talking about the gathering or hanging out of people at certain places. That’s all I am saying to the Premier, and the people of Anguilla, until we get this virus under control because it seems that the numbers of cases are increasing as opposed to decreasing. It is not that I am asking to close down any place – but we need to put some restrictive measures in place.”
Mr. Rogers added: “I am saying to the Premier, ‘the professionals are doing as much as they can. But you are the Leader of Government Business. You are a Medical Doctor. Take charge of this and decide exactly what we have to do more, moving forward. Yes, we are putting new protocols in place but sometimes we have to lead, and this is one of the times, Premier, that I think that your leadership and training would augur well going forward.”’
At the Government’s Press Conference, later the same day, Monday, August 23, Premier Dr. Webster, referred in general to his leadership role, in controlling the virus, but, without actually replying to Mr. Rogers’ statements, said among other matters: “We were able to get over six thousand visitors into Anguilla in July and August. If you add up the forty-one cases of the virus from the cluster, and the other probably ten or fifteen cases that have come in, I think we have done fairly well. We have to thank God for that, and thank the people of Anguilla – and the hospitality workers who have followed the protocols, and who are protecting themselves and others; and those of us who got vaccinated. It is because of you, and us, who chose to get vaccinated, that is keeping the virus from spreading like wildfire through this country like it has done through other countries.
“It is only 58 percent of us who are fully vaccinated – having had the two doses more than twenty-one days after the first dose. I thank those who have chosen to be patriotic to do it. The rest who got only the first dose, thank you also. But those who are eligible to be vaccinated, and are not being vaccinated, you are probably the ones who are out there saying ‘shut down the country.’ We are not going to do that. We will be careful. We will be methodical. We will make sure that we protect the lives of the people of Anguilla; but we certainly are not going to be dictated to by those who do not do the right thing.”
