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St Kitts and Nevis: During his monthly media conference, Prime Minister – Dr Timothy Harris noted that his government so far has spent $18.4 million since the COVID-19 outbreak hit the island to obtain equipment, additional manpower, including the cost of Cuban and Filipino medical brigades, other physicians and specialist support, pharmaceuticals particularly vaccines.
He further highlighted, besides this, the government has spent to secure vehicles, retrofit wards and health centres, to rent quarantine facilities and to give testing support.
While $5 million is also likely to be spent by the end of this year in handling the COVID-19 virus. St Kitts and Nevis government has also contributed money to furnish the child care facilities and schools.
The Prime Minister informed that his administration so far has spent $1.3 million to enhance twin-island’s national security system, which also includes recruiting quarantine officers.
Additionally, the Federal government spent $2.7million to retrofit and upgrade the R.L.B International Airport to protect all employees, visitors and indeed all who use the facility.
Further, while talking about his administration’s contribution in the sector of Agriculture and Fisheries, he stated that for the time duration of January to August 2021, fish landings were 509,700 pounds, with a landed value of $5.7 million, representing a 23 per cent rise in output as compared to the period in the year of 2020.
He further noted that the islands’ Marine Resources Department notified that at the end of August, the nation had registered 1,294 fishers which is an increase of around 81 over the 1,213 fishers as compared to the month of August in the year 2020.
“I must encourage our fishers to register as self-employed persons with Social Security. Social Security protects all workers at their times of vulnerability, which also includes providing a pension in their old age,” Prime Minister added.
Addressing the current COVID-19 outbreak situation, Prime Minister stated that it had remained the greatest challenge to St Kitts and Nevis, the Caribbean region and the world.
“The majority of persons dying from COVID-19 are unvaccinated,” he added.
In addition, he urged the citizens to get their jabs of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible so that the twin-island could get to normalcy.
