That was Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris.
His comments came as the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis’ (SKN) borders, re-opened on Saturday, October 31st, 2020.
Moreover, the borders re-opened after seven (7) months of closure. The Federation officially closed its borders on Wednesday, March 25th, 2020.
During that time, sectors (such as the Hospitality or Tourism Sector) were significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To elaborate briefly on what transpired during late March to present: many persons from various establishments were laid off, Four Seasons Resort, Nevis, in particular, recently terminated 280 of its employees, SKN recorded 19 confirmed COVID-19 cases with all recovered, to assist persons affected by the pandemic, Social Security created a Relief Fund which aided persons who were laid off with up to $1,000.00 for 3 months (April, May and June).
In that vein, more persons registered under the PAP (Poverty Alleviation Program). Under the program, households earning less than $3,000.00, will receive an extra $500.00 to improve their standard of living.
PM Harris, who is also the Minister of Finance, made this remark, taking into account the aforementioned:
