COVID-19 will not define us, says Prime Minister Allen Chastanet

What a difference a year makes! Prime Minister Allen Chastanet began his national independence speech referring to the global pandemic COVID-19.

Wednesday, 24th February 2021

St Lucia: What a difference a year makes! Prime Minister Allen Chastanet began his national independence speech referring to the global pandemic COVID-19. PM Chastanet also agreed on the fact that St Lucia suffered significant setbacks after the coronavirus hit the nation with full wrath. “COVID-19 has impacted the development, and there is no denying that there will be setbacks.” Further, he said that St Lucia has suffered substantial revenue losses and had to reallocate a lot of resources to fight the pandemic. Then the question arises that why the government was so helpless? Why the government, like other sister nations did not manage to curb the spread of coronavirus? UWP led St Lucia government titled this year’s celebrations as “A Resilient Nation: We can, We Will.” During his speech, the prime minister underscored the crisis of COVID-19 and focused on looking beyond it. He said that the country has endured several challenges, and the scars of COVID-19 are the same as other natural disasters St Lucia has sustained in the past. “On every occasion, St Lucians took up the challenge and put their shoulders to the wheel, turning each setback into an opportunity to build back better,” he stated. He also added that people who want to manifest their love for St Lucia must wear masks in all public places. The independence committee has also planned a series of panel discussions geared to scrutinize castigatory issues. “As a government, we are fully committed to this quest; St Lucia inspires us to keep working,” said Prime Minister in the conclusion of his independence day’s speech. PM hardly made any concrete statement about the COVID-19. So far, Dominica and Barbados are the only nations in the Caribbean that managed to acquire the coronavirus vaccine from India, as most countries are still longing to get the jabs. Squander leadership of St Lucia failed to ratify the vaccine, and PM Chastanet failed the test of his recognition in the international lobby. However, both sister nations provided St Lucia some 3ooo jabs of COVID-19 vaccine, which the country used to immunize its frontline workers who are among the most vulnerable from the global pandemic.