Fellow Grenadians, the past few weeks posed a critical challenge for our health careย system but thankfully, we are emerging from what will likely be recorded as one ofย the darkest periods of our countryโs history.
It has also been a very challenging time for leadership and decision-making, but Iย have always been confident that we will get through this. The resilience of theย Grenadian people has been demonstrated in the past, and in this period, it is noย different โ there is just something about our people and the indomitable will toย survive and to thrive.
The crisis is far from over, but there is certainly a rainbow peeking through theย stormy cloud of sickness, death, unemployment, business closures and every otherย impact this pandemic has wrought on our country. The road to recovery will be longย and steep, maybe with some undulating periods where we may seem to regress, butย ultimately, sisters and brothers, we will get through this.
One of the most painful elements of this crisis is the number of deaths occurring inย a short space of time. Death is an inevitable part of life, but the sheer volume atย which we have been experiencing death in the last few weeks, was unprecedented.ย It was extremely painful to see and to hear of so many families facing the suddenย loss of loved ones.
It was particularly disconcerting to see the number of elderly citizens we lost, theย true gems of our country, those whose sacrifices laid the foundation on which weย stand today โ their lives obliterated, in a flash, taking with them elements of ourย culture, our heritage as a people. It is devastating and I am heartbroken by the suddenย loss of 130 of our senior citizens. I pray that the families of all the deceased areย comforted by the fact that their loved ones are resting in peace.
In the same breath, I must acknowledge that despite the loss of life, we ought to beย grateful because so many others have recovered and remain with us today. To date,ย Grenada has recorded more than 4,300 recoveries from COVID-19. Some requiredย medical intervention and their recovery was hard-fought. Unfortunately, manyย people waited too late to seek help and, in some cases, had it not been for theย expertise and the dedicated care of our medical team and the invaluable supportย system within the health care sector, our numbers may have been higher.
Therefore, sisters and brothers, we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to our teamย of health professionals โ doctors, nurses, community health team, orderlies, drivers,ย cooks, cleaning staff, maintenance personnel and oxygen plant staff โ just aboutย everyone who contributed to the care of COVID-19 patients, whether directly orย indirectly. We recognise that the health care system is a sum total of all its parts,ย with each element contributing to the overall product and we therefore thank all of you for the critical role you play in serving the people of Grenada, Carriacou andย Petite Martinique.
Sisters and brothers, the rate of infection continues to decline and the total numberย of active cases similarly continues the downward trend, but this came at aย tremendous cost to others who were put on the breadline as non-essential businessesย were forced to close their doors. It is an ongoing challenge for Government to createย that delicate balance between safeguarding lives and protecting livelihoods, such isย the complex nature of this pandemic.
Recognising the tremendous financial impact of the pandemic, Government hasย initiated a second stimulus package that will benefit a wide cross-section of theย population, particularly those who are most vulnerable. Already, the COVID-19ย Economic Support Stimulus Secretariat, at the Ministry of Finance, has processedย more than 1,500 applications with more than 500 approvals to date. Beneficiariesย approved for income support have already started receiving payments on October 1.ย Those approved under SEED, will receive their first payments on October 15. Inย addition, 55 small business loans worth about $600,000 and qualifying under theย stimulus package, have already been approved, to help business owners recover fromย the impact of the pandemic and to stimulate operational growth and development.
Given the positive trend we are now seeing and the optimism of the health experts,ย that this will continue, the Cabinet has agreed on a number of measures that will inย essence, provide an easement of the regulations that have been in place for the lastย few weeks.
โย Effective, October 5 and continuing until October 19, the nightly curfew willย continue, but will be adjusted from 7:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
The no-movement weekends will be discontinued. This measure has certainlyย helped to curb the rate of infection, but health experts have continuouslyย indicated that we must learn to live with COVID-19, therefore it is imperativeย that we seek to resume a degree of normalcy while continuing to safeguardย our people.
โย Retail stores across the country will be allowed to resume normal operationsย but we encourage store managers to maintain 50% capacity in store at all timesย and ensure that workers and patrons alike, are following the recommendedย protocols โ proper wearing of masks, appropriate physical distancing,ย avoiding large gatherings and regular hand sanitisation.
โBeaches will be accessible for an extended period, between 4:00 a.m. and 4:00ย p.m. daily.
โIn the food service sector, dine-in services will resume for fully-vaccinatedย persons only.
โย Gyms and fitness centres are also permitted to resume operation. Likewise,ย day care centres and businesses in the beauty sector including hairdresserย salons and barber shops. However, there is one caveat which is based onย consultation with representatives in the private sector to help facilitateย continuity of operations in the event of future spikes that could otherwise forceย another shut down of operations.
โย Having consulted with stakeholders in the following industries and acting onย their general recommendation,ย employees in the food service,ย accommodation, fitness, beauty, child and elderly care sectors, must be fully vaccinated, or in cases where they have received only one dose, the secondย dose must be administered within a specific period after the resumption ofย operations.
The re-opening of schools is widely anticipated by students, parents andย educators and while I am keen to see our children back in the classroom, ourย primary concern must be their health and safety. The vaccination rate amongย teachers and other personnel in the education sector is abysmal. The uptake of
the Pfizer which is administered to children 12 and above, is also low at thisย point. Against this backdrop, it is difficult for Government to announce theย re-opening of schools.
Sisters and brothers, during the past few weeks, our vaccination numbers haveย continued to improve, with latest figures showing that about 25,000 people are fullyย vaccinated. In addition, more than 10,000 people are partially vaccinated, meaningย they have received the first dose of the two-dose regimen. This is a welcomeย improvement in the number of persons opting for vaccination but we are still a longย way from where we need to be in terms of achieving herd immunity.
I must recognise the role of volunteers in helping us to achieve the significantย increase in vaccinations. Over the past four weekends, teams of doctors, nurses,ย ordinary citizens as well as faculty and students from St. Georgeโs University volunteered their time to provide testing and vaccination clinics across the country.ย This outreach effort, undertaken in collaboration with public health officials, madeย testing and vaccination more accessible to many people and contributed to aboutย 4,000 more people being vaccinated and the Ministry of Health being able to acquireย much more data on the extent of the spread of the virus across communities.
On many occasions during those weekends, I acknowledged the enormous sacrificeย being made by the volunteers and it is important that I do so again as part of thisย national address. Volunteers, thank you for your selfless service and partnership withย the Government of Grenada.
Continuing on the subject of gratitude and patriotisim, I must acknowledge theย valuable contribution of our diaspora community โ the doctors who have travelledย to Grenada to provide physical support to their colleagues on the frontline; the manyย organisations and individuals, who readily donated supplies to bolster our inventoryย and ensure that our health team is properly outfitted to execute the challenging tasksย they face. Several other initiatives are likely in the coming weeks, including theย provision of telemedicine service by our diaspora doctors.
We are also grateful for the generosity of medical professionals from Cuba, Mexicoย and Nicaragua who are currently supporting our own health care professionals. Iย must acknowledge the sizeable donation expected shortly from Direct Assist, aย charitable organization based in the United States.
I have mentioned on many occasions, that getting through this crisis requires aย collaborative effort and I am pleased to see that many have seen the value in thisย approach, volunteering where possible and initiating and engaging in the necessaryย dialogue, making recommendations for improving this collective fight againstย COVID-19. I must make special reference here to Brother Randal Robinson of theย National Democratic Congress who has been volunteering his service at vaccinationย and testing clinics. I call on all to follow his example.
Sisters and brothers, vaccine inequity continues to be a significant challenge aroundย the world, but we are thankful to our international partners who have ensured thatย Grenada and our OECS and CARICOM neighbours receive this critical resource toย help fight the spread of the virus. Government is currently engaged in discussions toย source additional supplies of AstraZeneca and Pfizer. We anticipate a secondย shipment of Pfizer in the coming weeks.
The operations of Government have not been immune to the impact of the pandemic.ย Several public officers have themselves contracted the disease and while we haveย lost a few, the vast majority has recovered. We have implemented the necessaryย measures to adapt to the new environment, including the rotation of staff whereย necessary to ensure adherence to physical distancing, remote work where possible and greater emphasis on digital transformation and online services. We also
encourage the continued enforcement of protocols across Government to ensure thatย public officers and the people they serve are kept safe.
Sisters and brothers, I close by saying, these unprecedented times require equallyย extraordinary fortitude. For individuals and organisations alike, it is not a period forย the faint of heart, but we have persevered thus far and I must reiterate the need forย us to continue working collaboratively, in the interest of our people and our country.ย It is imperative that we join hands regardless of political, religious or otherย affiliation. That said, we must guard against complacency being allowed toย undermine the gains made. The reduction in active cases should motivate us toย become even more cognizant of the protocols, ensuring that we safeguard ourselvesย and our loved ones, as we seek a return to some sense of normalcy.
I thank you.
