"Not to become complacent" advises Premier Mark Brantley

St Kitts and Nevis: Premier Mark Brantley advises the people of Nevis not to become complacent about the COVID-19 situation on the island, as circumstances may change at any time.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, Premier Brantley, Senior Minister of Health at the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) were special guests on WINN FM's "The Island Tea Morning show" with hosts Azem Bailey, Jade Johnson and Kevon Hanley. He replied to questions about the NIA cabinet's resolution to keep the island's economy open for trade and employment, while businesses and government offices in St. Kitts were closed under the partial exclusion and that the movement of people was restricted to access to essential services.

"The situation develops; COVID is a very fluid situation. We can only respond to the evidence at our disposal and as leaders, make decisions based on the advice we had at the time."

"I think you would have realized that yesterday [15 June] we would have declared even further restrictions and that a limited state of emergency had been declared and that we were of course also subject to the [Statutory rules and orders] SR&O issued by the Rev. Attorney General [Vincent Byron Jr.] Saturday. So here he discussed a set of regulations and by Tuesday, it had been repealed and replaced," said Mark Brantley.

"I say this to say that although I appreciate some consternation in the public, we also need to realize that this is a fluid situation, and as new and better evidence comes to light, we adapt. Therefore, in my own speech, even though I said at that point on Saturday night that there had been no business in Nevis since March 16, we must be prepared that if business were to come, additional action would be required. '

Since the virus broke out in the Federation on May 19, 2021, Nevis has recorded one positive case on June 15, 2021. St. Kitts monitors 207 active cases. The Federation recorded its first COVID-19 death on 17 June 2021.

Premier Brantley renews his call for people to take the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine available free of charge at all health centers on the island. On June 15, 4,948 people in Nevis received their first dose of the vaccine and 2,660 their second dose. It accounts for 31 percent of the 8,594 target population on the island.

He said by ensuring herd immunity against the virus, St. Kitts and Nevis avoid the closures and curfews, "to put us in a position where we can reopen our country and regain our way of life."

"We are in a situation where our future lies in our hands in a real way. It does not just depend on the government now. It's to every person out there - every young person, every not so young person, every citizen every resident - because we've been told by doctors and science that the vaccine is the answer to COVID-19, and we have a tremendous level of vaccination against vaccine in the community."

"It is therefore difficult for me as premier to say where we are going to be in three months, unless our people realize that where we are going to depend in a real way on them. I hope that our people will be vaccinated. We will increase our numbers so that we are comfortable enough to open our borders and open our doors. Our people must act.”