As the Ministry of Health continues to announce more cases of Covid-19 reaching our shores, Anguilla’s population is becoming increasingly on edge about the potential impact on the relatively normal existence we’ve enjoyed during this pandemic. Even as announcements were made about the possibility of a vaccine being available, in the near future, concerns shifted from fear of contracting Covid-19 to trepidation about the safety of the vaccine.
2020 has been a year of trial for everyone in our community: those who lost their source of income and the families who rely on them; the Ministry of Health and the entire health team who have shown exceptional leadership and resilience; the teachers and students who had to switch to online teaching and learning almost overnight; the political leaders who had to add global pandemic to their growing list of economic challenges. From those in positions of top leadership, to those doing menial work, everyone has been impacted in some way.
While our economy is in shambles, we have remained safe during this pandemic, and the fact that our safety is now under threat — since the reopening of our borders — is a concern to many, particularly the elderly in our community, and those with health conditions which make them high risk.
We must, however, understand the predicament our Government is in, and the difficult decisions it has had to make. Our borders cannot remain closed forever. We must accept that fact. To avoid a total economic shutdown, the Government had to find a way to get people back to work — reopening the borders. This not only assists our peoplein supporting their families, but it reduces the burden on Government which provides unemployment assistance and other types of social support to many of us. Most certainly, the reopening gets money circulating in the economy. The challenge for Government is to ensure that Anguilla reopens safely. This means that there must be strict health protocols in place to protect the general population so that there is no community spread of the virus. From the outside looking in, it seems like the Ministries of Health and Tourism have been working well, together, to find a balance between ensuring a pleasurable visitor experience — and observing good epidemiological practices to prevent virus transmission. However, it has not been without its challenges.
The biggest loophole in the protocols developed for Anguilla’s safe reopening is that it depends on human compliance to be effective. From the time a visitor arrives in Anguilla until the time he or sheis released from his or her quarantine period, that visitor and every single person with whom he or she interacts must adhere to the health protocols: immigration, customs, taxi drivers, bell boys, hotel reception, food service, housekeeping, guest services, etc. One break in that chain, or lapse in judgment, puts not only the person interacting with the guest at risk — but the rest of the community.
We have all heard stories of persons breaching the protocols — both visitors and those with whom they interact. The Royal Anguilla Police Force also announced recently that an American couple was charged and fined for breach of the protocols. This is tangible demonstration that, as a country, we are willing to hold people accountable for their actions which have the potential to compromise public safety. Hopefully, it sends a strong message to others that this will not be tolerated. However, the arm of the law does not alleviate the worry that there are — and will probably continue to be — breaches, perhaps by our very own people.
The responsibility is therefore ours to remain vigilant and hold each other accountable for the wellbeing of all. As we can see from media reports, all over the world, no one is immune from the coronavirus which, for some people, ends in death. While a vaccine is imminent, many persons have expressed a reluctance to receive it, preferring to adopt a wait-and-see approach. Much public education, and buy-in, will be needed if the vaccine is to have a meaningful impact in slowing the spread. In the meantime, let us all remember that what we do, or fail to do, impacts the lives of those around us. We must therefore observe the good hygiene and other practices being advocated by the Ministry of Health so that we and our loved ones can remain safe.
