PS Larry Franklin; Hotel General Managers – Mr Tiago Sarmento, Belmond Cap Juluca; Mr José Adames, Four Seasons Anguilla
and Mr Stephane Zaharia, Resort & Residences by Cuisinart
With the novel coronavirus, now known as COVID-19, having entered parts of the Caribbean adjacent to Anguilla, health officials, hoteliers and other accommodation providers in the hotel and tourism sector, are keeping in close contact on the situation.
In that process, two fundamental matters are being focused on. One is that care is taken to control persons, entering the island from affected countries and territories, through certain preventative procedures at the ports. The other is that while exercising these stringent measures, care is taken to ensure that the island’s tourism, on which the economy mainly depends, is not unnecessarily harmed.
A meeting at which these and other matters were discussed was held at the Tourist Board’s conference room on Thursday, March 5. The main presenters were the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Community Development, Mr. Foster Rogers; the Chief Medical Officer with the Health Authority of Anguilla (HAA), Dr. Aisha Andrewin, who regularly circulates updates on the invasive disease; and Health Planner, Ms. Rochelle Rogers, who delivered the introductory portions of the presentation for discussion. The others at the meeting included General Managers of hotel properties, villas and other tourism stakeholders across the island.
The medical and health team spoke on various initiatives being taken to prevent the entry and spread of the COVID-19 in Anguilla, including arrangements for random testing of persons and their quarantine and/or isolation as may be necessary. Among the questions which came up from the floor was whether hotels, and other accommodation places, can accommodate visitors who may be on the quarantine list in particular.
While this may be possible, especially at larger properties with several buildings, Mr. Foster Rogers made the point that the Ministry of Health, and the Health Authority, “will have to be assured that there are arrangements in place for monitoring the patients”. He noted that one of the major cases in New York, that resulted in the spreading of the virus in New York was where a suspected patient was under self-quarantine “and did not act responsibly”. He stressed that “there was therefore a need to be very careful on how we move forward on this.” He spoke about arrangements where temporary units were being prepared, for the quarantine and isolation of suspected or affected persons, on the compound of the Princess Alexandra Hospital.
Several useful questions and suggestions were put forward by the industry partners. It was eventually agreed that the hotel and tourism sector, the Ministry of Health and the Health Authority, would stay into close contact with each other, while staying abreast with the latest advisories from the World Health Organisation on the progress and the unfolding situation of the disease.
Meanwhile, The Anguillian newspaper asked the Minister of Health, Mr. Evans Rogers, for his comments on quarantine and isolation arrangements. “Basically, there is a marked difference between quarantine and isolation,” he explained. “We have already engaged a number of individuals with homes, villas and guesthouses so that, in case we need to quarantine any persons, we can do so at those locations. In terms of isolation, it is when individuals come to the hospital and tested positive that they will be isolated.”
Quizzed as to how guests suspected of the virus could be quarantined at any of the hotels, or other places of accommodation, Mr. Rogers said: “They can be quarantined in a particular building but, of course, the Health Authority would have to do the monitoring because they, not the hoteliers, are the health experts so to speak.”
He continued: “We are in the process of retro-fitting a portion of the Psychiatric Ward which is a separate building from the hospital. The experts were in and advised that the location and distance from the hospital is adequate, so we are retro-fitting a portion of that ward so that we will be able to isolate about four patients at least; and we have [other] isolation areas already designated.”
The Minister of Health added: “Going forward, we are in negotiations with the British Government. They have agreed to assist the Overseas Territories, including Anguilla, with setting up permanent isolation units. We have already identified a piece of territory, which the Health Authority already owns, and are looking at the financing of the project. While we are dealing with the coronavirus now, there will be other viruses and diseases whereby isolation will be required.”
Asked where the proposed land for the isolation units was located, Mr. Rogers replied: “It is just west of the hospital, close to the temporary parking lot. It is that entire block of land west of the Orealia Kelly Primary School. We are working with various environmentalists, and other specialists, because we have to take into consideration that a school is there.
“Of course, with the technology that is now available for isolation units, it doesn’t matter where the location is. It can be in the heart of a city but with the requisite technology, equipment and other things it can be done. We are not haphazardly saying this is a spot. We have to take into consideration the overall environmental conditions as well.”
