Many may miss benefits as Government Delivers ‘Discriminatory’ Vaccination Perks

#TurksandCaicos, April 6, 2021 – Turks and Caicos government has offered socially rewarding perks for those business staff and individuals who are vaccinated. In his fortnightly brief, the Deputy Premier & the Minister of Health in Turks and Caicos Islands Hon. E. Jay Saunders said the government is pushing for more people to get vaccinated.

“As I said before, we are pushing for people to get vaccinated. Because we can see the benefits of vaccination. That is the best way to keep people safe,” said Hon. Saunders before announcing the good news to those who are vaccinated.

In preliminary highlights on what the Cabinet members had discussed and approved, Hon. Saunders said they had “Approved an amendment to Public and Environmental Health (Arriving Passengers) Regulations to allow for upon arrival PCR testing at the airport for TCI residents who have been fully vaccinated (2 doses) in the TCI.

These new developments eliminate the requirement to obtain a negative PCR test within five days before they arrived in the Islands with effect from 1 May 2021.”

Additionally, the cabinet approved an amendment to the Public and Environmental Health (Pandemic) Regulations to reduce the prescribed quarantine period from 14 days to 7 days for fully vaccinated persons (2 doses) who contact someone with the COVID-19 disease.

Therefore, those who’re yet to receive the two jabs will have to go through a more tedious processes to get what they want. Even though the perks are rewarding, they are frowned up as discriminatory as many not yet vaccinated are set to miss the benefits.

“So, subject to 100 per cent of your staff being vaccinated, restaurants and bars will be able to increase their occupancy to 60 per cent.” According to Hon. Saunders.

While this will be a big win for those restaurants with 100 per cent staff vaccination and taxi drivers, those who are yet to get the two doses of Covid-19 vaccine will lose the huge advantage.

“Taxi drivers were able to carry only three persons. So, if taxi drivers are vaccinated, they can increase the number of passengers they carry to 50 per cent of their normal carrying capacity. If they are not vaccinated, they can carry only three persons,” said Hon. Saunders.

Unapologetically, when pressed about the discriminatory decisions, the Minister said he would rather have people in the TCI who are vaccinated and better protected against Covid-19 than residents who are being hospitalised and dying, after contracting the virus.

Some 2,344 people have been infected with Covid-19 in TCI; 17 have died in the territory.