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Last Updated: Apr 9, 2020 - 6:02:43 AM |
 Prime Minister Honourable Allen M. Chastanet
Address to Nation on the Government of Saint Lucia’s Response to COVID-19 Impact: Social Stabilization Programme (Phase 1)
8TH April 2020
The Outbreak of COVID-19 has created two crises: one is a health crisis and the other is an economic crisis, the likes of which we have never seen.
In attempting to deal with the health crisis, we are confronted with the realities of the way this disease spreads. It is not waterborne or spread by mosquitoes and there is no vaccine. The spread is human to human and its airborne. Those conditions have caused the complete shut down of cities, countries and now the world. In essence, this has humbled the entire Global economy.
Here in Saint Lucia we have seen it firsthand: there are no flights, no cruise ships, all hotels have been closed and approximately 13,000 staff have been laid off. All the supporting services have been shut down: taxis, restaurants, bars, duty free shopping, and suppliers.
That in turn has impacted the activity of the ports, consumption of water and electricity, consumption of agricultural products and it has significantly impacted revenue to private businesses and to the Government.
As our Government monitored the outbreak of COVID-19 in the world, we focused on our capacity to deal with a community outbreak.
Our strategy was to delay a community outbreak for as long as possible and balance that with our economic capacity to do so. Taking the draconian decision from early to shut the country down would have been catastrophic. In doing this balancing act we always leaned on the side of the protection of the health of our country.
This is why we took some tough decisions as it pertained to the cruise industry and imposed travel restrictions on heavily affected countries in the world.
Simultaneously, we have been building the health capacity of the country to deal with the eventual outbreak.
So the decision was made to move into OKEU, even though it was not 100 percent ready and to convert Victoria to a respiratory hospital. Orders were made very early to equip Victoria Hospital and the decision was made to request doctors and nurses from Cuba to help support the move into OKEU as well as manning the respiratory centre.
Once the UK, Canada and the US were added to the caution list for travel, all of the hotels closed down and we quickly converted three hotels into quarantine areas. Other hotels are willing to add their rooms to this effort.
Let’s not forget the operation of these quarantine hotels require nurses and police officers. This was an essential measure to quarantine the hundreds of Saint Lucians who were coming home and had to be put into compulsory quarantine.
As those numbers grew, it became very clear that we would have to shut our borders. Not because of the lack of rooms but because of the sheer manpower it would take. Similarly, we realized that voluntary quarantining was not working. Once we had more positive cases in Saint Lucia, the contact tracing generated over 100 persons for administrative quarantine. Our inability to do mass testing meant we had to put every Saint Lucian into Administrative quarantine when people did not adhere to those rules we were forced to institute a 24-hour curfew.
We have succeeded as a Government and People in delaying an extensive community spread. I can say to you that we are better prepared than we were a month ago. The health care interventions taken so far and those that are planned are estimated to cost in excess of $30 million.
The reality is that we are not in a position to maintain a 24-curfew for an extended period of time. So the decision has been to keep the grocery stores open, along with essential services. That minimum level of operation still creates immense risk of the spread of the virus.
The only way to minimize that risk is by people being disciplined. The reopening was for people to get some basis items and head back home. We created two zones to minimize the movement of people. I want to assure Saint Lucians that the food supply is not going to run out and supermarkets and shops are not going to close. So please stop rushing out, taking long lines and disregarding social distancing. Take advantage of home delivery and grab bags.
We have extended the shopping hours to end at 6:00pm this week. The supermarkets will also be open on Easter Sunday until 2:00pm and Monday until 4:00pm.
I am appealing once again to all Saint Lucians to comply with the established protocols.
As I mentioned because of the closure of our international trade and the restrictions on local commerce and activities, COVID has created significant hardship and fear amongst the population.
As you know many people in the hospitality industry and domestic sector have been laid off. So at this time the Government has felt it extremely important to focus on a Social Stabilization Programme. One that might not replace your salary but certainly, it will soften the economic blow and provide some level of relief.
The focus of the social stabilization is two-fold:
- the persons who have completely lost their income
- the more vulnerable persons in our society:
- the elderly, persons on the poverty list and persons waiting to be on the poverty list.
Temporary income support will be provided to NIC contributors and non-NIC contributors for a period of 3 months in the first instance.
With respect to NIC contributors, a monthly payment relative to your salary will be paid between $500 and $1,500 will be offered, for a period of three (3) months in the first instance starting in April.
Persons eligible for this program:
- had to have paid contributions to the fund for at least 1 month prior to February 2020;
- became unemployed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic;
- must not have been not in receipt of other benefits from the NIC.
The NIC allowance is estimated to cost between $33 million and $80 million, over a 3 month period, depending on the number of eligible persons. A review will then be conducted to determine whether an extension for another 3 months will be needed.
The Government will provide a subsistence allowance to persons, who have been displaced (through loss of employment or income) as a result of COVID-19. This income support will be in the amount of $500 monthly for 3 months. This is expected to be in excess of $16.8 million, based on the number of eligible persons.
Our situation today, brings to light the importance of persons signing up to NIC. For those not making a contribution and who the Government will be providing support to a precondition will be they must sign up to the NIC.
Against the reality of significantly lower revenues during the period April to June 2020, the government is confronted with the challenge of balancing the need for social stabilization to provide relief to our people against the government’s own revenue needs to generate resources to respond to these very same expectations and requests from affected persons. Nevertheless, the following measures will be implemented
...to continue see attached
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