Prime Minister Allen Chastanet and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, have defended government’s decision to keep the State of Emergency (SOE) in place. Scheduled to end on September 30, the officials argue that it is needed now more than ever as the country prepares to welcome back travellers. They addressed the matter yesterday during an update to the nation on the National Television Network.
Dr. Belmar-George indicated that the SOE has allowed them to make decisions in a timely manner in the management of COVID-19. She said that in her role as CMO, the Public Health Act and the Quarantine Act gives her some power, “but the SOE has given us the possibility of putting measures in place within a short time.” Some of the measures outlined include: zoning, restriction of movement of persons, institution of the curfew, setting protocols for hardware stores and supermarkets and the suspending of liquor licenses.
“So it allowed, within a very short period of time, for measures to be put in place to be able to manage,” she said. “As you see how COVID-19 has evolved in a lot of countries, the measures put in place have to be done in a very timely manner. So as we move from phase 4 to phase 5, as the public would acknowledge, it’s a high risk move. This is the highest risk that we are taking as we move through the phases.”
She continued: “So we need that measure in place to ensure if we need to put anything in place, it can be done within a very short period. Notwithstanding, we’ve been able to fully open the economy and everywhere else, having that back up plan in place.” The CMO added that the SOE has not restricted the economy but has allowed different sectors to open with the necessary protocols to reduce transmission. “So from a public health standpoint, it gives us a safety net that if we need to pull back within short measure,” she stated.
The prime minister urged Saint Lucians to remember the fluidity of COVID-19, especially since the country is entering a phase in which there will be substantially more risk. He said that the government is entering this phase with their eyes wide open and that they will do everything to mitigate against the risk. The SOE, he stated, is an “absolute requirement” at this point.
“On the other hand,” said Chastanet, “there are persons who are looking at the negative side of the SOE. One, thinking that it’s going to prevent the airlines from coming in. So I want to categorically say that that’s not true and that has zero impact on it.
“The other one is that there’re persons who’ve written to talk about all the things that we can do with the SOE but I want to remind everyone that we still remain accountable to Parliament and the people of this country. And I’m very proud of the fact that I don’t believe there’s one example of where somebody can say that what we have done in new legislation is a stretch; that it’s not absolutely to do with COVID,” he stated.
Chastanet maintains that the government has not acted irresponsibly and that all their actions are guided by the Command Center. He assured Saint Lucians that all matters are discussed and they receive advice from Attorney General Stephen Julien’s office. Said the prime minister: “So this fear that is being promoted that somehow government is going to use this authority to take away the individual rights or to take away a property of somebody. Yes, that’s possible but certainly there’s no examples in the last 12 weeks where we’ve remotely done that and I can assure you that that’s not the intent of the government with the SOE.”
Providing “legal cover” for the Cuban Medical Brigade was another reason given by Chastanet, in defence of the SOE. The CMO expounded stating that in order to be able to practice medicine in Saint Lucia, an individual must be registered by the Medical and Dental Council— a board tasked with ensuring that persons who practice medicine are doing so safely.
“When we noticed that our cases were going up, we said we need to get the Cuban team here to provide support for our respiratory hospital, respiratory clinics and also our increased quarantine sites. We needed to get them registered within a very short period of time,” Dr. Belmar-George indicated. To get full registration through the Council, “would’ve taken months and we didn’t have months to wait to start up because we were already seeing cases.”
She pointed out that the Health Practitioners Act —which governs the Medical and Dental Council — allows for this process to be expedited, when there is a state of emergency.
Section 39 of the Act states: “Notwithstanding any provisions of this Act, where at any time in the opinion of the Governor-General, a state of emergency renders it necessary, the Governor-General acting on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer may authorize a person to practice as a General Practitioner, Specialist Practitioner or Temporary Practitioner and to issue a practicing certificate to a person who shows to the satisfaction of the Governor-General that the person is of good character and holds a qualification from any university or other institution in any country which is authorized by the law of such a country to grant such qualification, and that such qualification furnishes a sufficient guarantee of the possession of the requisite knowledge and skill for the efficient practice of medicine or dentistry, and he or she otherwise fulfills the conditions prescribed by this Act or the Regulations.”
