As the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, bringing with it severe heart ship, St Kitts and Nevis is no exception. With the Government having taken vigorous containment and mitigation measures, such as border closures and lock downs in an effort to “flatten the curve,” the federation’s tourism industry came to a sudden halt in March – leaving many without a source of income.
Former Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Patrick Martin, a recent guest of Freedom Fm’s “Issues” shared the view that while the pandemic has triggered an unemployment crisis there is opportunity for leadership to step up to the plate.
He noted that it is the government’s responsibility to protect the employees.
Former minister of Labour Sam Condor sort to provide a historical context i the face of the crisis.
According to the IMF data, Caribbean economies are being hit hard by the collapse of the tourism sector, which accounts for 50 to 90 percent of GDP and employment in some countries.
Key tourism source markets in North America continue to be crippled by the pandemic however some Caribbean nation have taken the decision to relax border restrictions in an effort to jump start economic recovery.