#TurksandCaicos, February 5, 2021 – This week, one year ago, the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health held its first press conference informing on the newly detected virus we now know as Covid-19.
“Thank
you for being here for this press conference on viruses that may or potential
viruses that can affect us here in the Turks and Caicos Islands. We have a team from the Ministry of Health
here and also we have Dr. Braithwaite-Tennant from InterHealth Canada, TCI
Hospitals.
We
have the director of Environmental Health, the acting director of Health Service
and the director of disaster prevention training and myself as the Minister of
Health,” said Hon Edwin Astwood on January 31, 2020 when he made himself and a
team of health officials available to respond to questions on the very novel,
Novel Coronavirus which was at the time clawing its way to the top of all news
reports around the world.
“We
are closely monitoring what is going on with this virus, this new strain of the
coronavirus which is happening here and around the world. From January 20, the
Ministry of Health had put out our first release.”
Looking
back, it is clear from very early on, there was criticism from members of the
Public about the perceived lack of information coming from the Ministry
regarding the coronavirus. Minister
Astwood defended the team and offered that news interviews had been given,
supplies were being ordered and Cabinet had already met on the TCI’s early
response to the contagion.
“Cabinet
paper reached Cabinet this week. For
extra manpower, whatever supplies that we think may come up in the even this
virus reaches our shores.”
Well the virus did arrive. The first recorded case was on March 23, 2020; said to be a visitor from Italy who mysteriously vanished and about whom no one ever really knew anything about.
At
that time, first case individuals were called “Patient Zero”; however this
initial positive for the coronavirus in Turks and Caicos did not appear to have
contact with those presenting in future positive diagnoses for COVID in the
territory.
The
country has since recorded 1,590 cases; nine people have died within the Turks
and Caicos and the country has lost citizens living or being treated abroad to
Covid-19.
Covid
has stifled growth, smothered civil liberties, turned working parents into
teachers as schools remain on a virtual learning system and shoved the economy
into a recession, officially marked by the Ministry of Finance in October
2020.
Findings
of an economic study, published online in January 2021 reveal that it has cost
the Turks and Caicos $452,466,000; nearly half a billion dollars in a hit to
tourism.
“The Turks and Caicos Islands closed its borders to tourists from 23rd March 2020 until 22nd July 2020, resulting in the collection of islands becoming the country to face GDP losses of 37.8%. The Turks and Caicos economy is majoritively dependent on US tourism visiting the luxury holiday destination, meaning this travel ban alone is thought to have cost the country an estimated $22 million a month.” – According to Official ESAT, which conducted a study of the financial toll of the pandemic to travel and tourism worldwide.
Turks
and Caicos ranks number three for highest GDP loss, globally, according to this
study.
