PM Roosevelt Skerrit has revealed on state-owned DBS Radio that Dominica currently has 12 active cases of COVID-19. He announced that the patients have been quarantined at Portsmouth where they will undergo all necessary treatments. He also noted the government continues to do all in its power to eliminate the pandemic from the island, while urging Dominicans to adhere to recommended health protocols for preventing the disease.
With the emergence of another variant of COVID-19, PM Skerrit said the disease “is going to be here for some time” and the government will budget for this new development. He said his administration will evaluate existing health and safety systems with a view to making them more effective at containing the pandemic and safeguarding the health of the people. According to him, the more the government budgets for the pandemic, the more expensive it becomes to manage situation.
The prime minister charged all relevant authorities to do everything possible to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 in the country, while noting that travel and tourism will remain affected until the situation is put under control across the region.
“We have to continue dealing with it,” Skerrit stated. “Of course, it’s going to continue to affect tourism, because people are not prepared to travel in the numbers that they would like to because of all the restrictions from their own countries and of course within the region.”
He further urged Dominicans to prioritize wearing of face masks, handwashing with soap, and maintaining physical distances, while striving to stay indoors more.
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