PSU head accuses Government of not declaring the Covid-19 State of Emergency over
There is no Public Health Emergency in effect, says PM Gonsalves
Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsavles, has refuted claims by the Public Service Union (PSU), that the medical health emergency was still in effect, even though the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 pandemic over.
At a press conference yesterday, June 3, 2024, PM Gonsalves spoke of hearing a murmur that the public health emergency was still in effect. “It’s not in effect,” he declared, “ it is not in effect.”
He said he was made to understand that “ …some senior official” in a few cases was still requesting of persons proof of vaccination”, which is the Covid-19 vaccine card.
He inquired of the Cabinet Secretary whether this was happening and the response was “… not in any general way”, but it was understood “ that there may” be the odd person who is still making this request of persons.
The Prime Minister said he didn’t “know who gave that odd person that authority”, and the Cabinet Secretary was asked to “write to everybody”, which includes heads of departments and permanent sectaries” to tell them that that is not required because we’ve gone past that long time”. He did not say when this instruction was given.
At a press conference held on May 28, 2024, president of the Public Service Union, Elroy Boucher said the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines still had not declared the Covid-19 state of emergency over.
“There is no longer any pandemic. How is it that we in St. Vincent still have a public health emergency for COVID-19? It has not been declared over by the Honourable Jimmy Prince [Minister of Health], Boucher stated.
“Certain categories of workers- the mandate as it affected them, the mandate on them to be vaccinated has been discontinued, but the vaccine mandate is still in place for healthcare workers to still have us on a public health emergency for COVID-19,” Boucher charged. The Medical Health Emergency was declared by the Government when this country was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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