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St. Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador to the United States and Organization
of American States (OAS), Lou-Anne Gilchrist, addressing an
independence celebration at El Caribe Country Club in Brooklyn, in October
2018, organized by the Brooklyn-based group, Vincentian Independent
National Charities, Inc. (VINCI). Photo by Nelson A. King
Vincentian envoy says COVID
gives nationals ‘pause’
By Nelson A. King
As St. Vincent and the Grenadines celebrates
its 41st anniversary of political
independence from Great Britain, Ambassador
to the United States and the Organization
of American States (OAS), Lou-Ann
Gilchrist, says the coronavirus (COVID-19)
has given nationals “pause.”
“We give thanks to the Almighty for
His mercy and love, which are new every
day and which have brought us all to this
day of celebration,” said Gilchrist in her
virtual address on Sunday at an Ecumenical
Service of Thanksgiving, organized by
the Brooklyn-based Council of St. Vincent
and the Grenadines Organizations, U.S.A.,
Inc. (COSAGO), in conjunction with the
New York Consulate General. “It is a day of
celebration, which is tinged with the sadness
of loss, however.
“As we celebrate this milestone in
our country’s advancement, we pause to
reflect in reverence on the dearly departed
who lost their lives, especially those who
succumbed to the dreaded COVID-19,” she
added. “May they rest in peace, and may
their families and loved ones be comforted
by enduring and fond memories of them.
“My brothers and sisters, the pandemic
has given us all pause,” the envoy continued.
“As we battle daily to ensure that we
follow the health and sanitary protocols
established to reduce the spread of the
coronavirus, we are reminded now, more
than ever, that the actions of each individual
can have a profound effect on the
life, health and survival of others.
“In short, we are reminded of our individual
and collective responsibility. We
have to be our brother’s keeper,” Gilchrist
urged. “In like manner, friends, we each
need to accept and fulfil our responsibility
as Vincentians to promote the ideals of
community and of nationhood. We must
rid ourselves of the myopic views, which
cause us to denigrate our blessed homeland,
and which separate us – one from
the other – and which promote strife. We
must work together, for, although we have
come of age as a nation, we must not rest
on our laurels. We still have a nation to
build.”
At the same time, the ambassador said
Vincentians must wrest the nation from
the deadly threat of the COVID-19, “which
can reverse the economic gains made in
our country over the past two decades
under the astute leadership of our government.”
Prior to the current pandemic, Gilchrist
said the Eastern Caribbean Central
Bank predicted a regional contraction of
close to seven percent.
But, now, she said, the Central Bank
estimates an economic contraction in
the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union
of between 10 and 20 percent in each
country.
“Nevertheless, the Government of St.
Vincent and the Grenadines is committed
to combatting this pandemic through a
continuous, inclusive and people-centric
approach, and has extended aspects of the
Recovery and Stimulus package, initially
valued at EC$74 million to further support
our economic recovery,” the envoy said.
Through what she described as “the
government’s prudent management of
the coronavirus situation,” she said St.
Vincent and the Grenadines reported no
deaths from COVID-19.
In addition, she said there was no community
or cluster spread, adding that the
Atlanta, GA-based US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
United States Department of State recently
upgraded the country’s travel health
notice and travel advisory, respectively,
“concomitant with the improvements in
the COVID-19 situation.”
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